Transcendent
by Zilleniose
Summary: Unable to govern his death, he could only watch his proxy fade, his soul lingering and life to be born anew. ::Reincarnation fic.Joshua x Reincarnated!Neku::
1. Guardian Angel

**Title:** Transcendent  
**Characters:** Joshua/Reincarnated!Neku  
**Rating:** PG-13 for now  
**Warnings:** Spoilers for end of the game – quite possibly major spoilers for the secret reports  
**Summary:** Unable to govern his death, he could only watch his proxy fade, his soul lingering and life to be born anew. Reincarnation fic.  
**Notes:** Co-written with feverishlove.

**Chapter 1**

_Guardian Angel_

It started about four days ago, when he was watching the young boy with familiar orange-brunet hair romp around on the soccer field, laughing and running with his friends without a care in the world. The warmth of the midday sun cast across the city, without a cloud in the sky… it was Sunday, so all the kids in Shibuya were out enjoying their day off from school, away from the stress and constant prying eyes of their elders.

He just turned ten a few days prior, probably still running on the massive sugar rush from all the cake and ice cream from his birthday party. Joshua had noticed long ago that Neku was having a much easier time in this life making friends and being able to connect with those around him. Perhaps it was because of the Game he had endured for three weeks, the result of the Composer's meddling and selfish needs that helped the boy's reincarnated soul find peace with the comfort of simple friendships – or maybe he had that ability all along. He was more outgoing, more adventurous and loud, but still somehow the sweet, kind Neku he always knew. His eyes were a lighter blue, and his hair had more prominent red mingling with the light, sand-colored brown, but his soul was so strikingly similar that Joshua could barely even recognize the physical differences.

Unfortunately on that day, The Composer of Shibuya was tirelessly working on pressing matters with the higher plane, unable to tend to every single matter that arose in his city – and unable to notice the storm clouds rolling in from far in the distance.

It started out with some light sprinkles, making the field Neku and his friends were playing at damp and muddy; but they were boys, so they could hardly care less about a little mud. In fact, they relished it. Soon their games were less about the soccer or misplaced basketball, and more about sliding around in the muck, shirts drenched with soil and rain as they laughed and played. Though it seemed their games would never end, one by one the children began to disappear as the rain got heavier still, their parents dragging their soaked butts back home to wash up and most likely receive a scolding or lecture about catching a cold.

Neku's parents, on the other hand, were still working. The few children that stayed outside, including the young brunet, continued to disregard the kind warning of the other parents, deciding that a little mud couldn't possibly hurt them. Worms were in the dirt all the time, and they never found one with a cold. It was perfectly safe – the adults just didn't want them to get dirty. That was the only logical explanation.

Hours passed and the dark grey clouds continued to roll in. Soon Neku had developed a cough, his clothes thoroughly soaked. He shivered and slowly made his way home, hungry and tired. It was late afternoon until Joshua had returned to his city, grimacing at the rain clouds slightly, but knew better than to alter the weather for anything that didn't have a detrimental effect on Shibuya. It was just rain, nothing more…

…Until he saw Neku, sneezing, coughing and shivering as he fumbled with the door to his apartment, unable to steadily get the key fit inside the lock, nose running and clothes dripping soil-stained water. For a moment, the Composer's heart stopped, dread invading his senses like an over-protective parent, and immediately opened the door for the drenched boy. Neku, who's mind was in a fog, barely even noticed that the door opened on its own accord, and simply walked in, ridding himself of his dirty clothes and crawling into bed without even bothering to wash himself.

Joshua could only wait beside the young child's bed, body still in the UG and completely invisible to the living. It was nearly an hour before his father returned from work, calling for his son, asking what he would like for dinner… but when he got no response, he checked Neku's room, only to find the brunet had developed a fever, his skin clammy and cheeks flushed. After a quick call on his cell phone, his wife rushed home and checked on her baby boy, getting him cold medicine and hot chicken noodle soup.

Joshua watched in silence, placing a hand upon Neku's forehead too many times to count into the night after his parents went to bed. The boy would groan and turn over, to cough or shiver, bury himself under the covers or kick them completely off – after which the Composer would cover him up again before he got too cold.

A few days passed and Neku's cold didn't get any better. A quick visit to an urgent care late one evening after his fever began to spike again, and he was sent to the emergency room with pneumonia. Every few hours he would have to be surrounded by bags of ice, as the nurses and doctor tried to desperately reduce his fever. The Composer merely watched, dread filling his senses every time the boy coughed and cried, his mind in a total haze from the high fever. He couldn't do anything – he couldn't meddle. The lives of those in Shibuya were to follow its own path without an interfering hand.

He could only watch.

"Sanae," Joshua whispered as his Producer appeared beside him, standing beside the hospital bed, his dark violet eyes watching the pale and flushed boy with concerned eyes.

"There's nothing you can do, Boss. He's not even the same Neku you knew – may be the same soul, but he won't remember you." Sanae replied as he shoved his hands in his pockets.

The silver-haired man didn't reply at first, letting the silence engulf him. "I don't care if he remembers me – he's still _Neku_."

Mr. Hanekoma shook his head, turning his back to him. "You can't meddle with stuff like this. The higher ups will get mad."

"…What if he dies?" Joshua whispered, reaching out to gently stroke the side of the sleeping boy's cheek. "He's so young. He's barely lived at all."

"That's life, Boss."

The Composer didn't reply.

"I'm going back to the River… don't do anything stupid, 'aight?" Sanae didn't wait to hear a witty retort from Joshua, and merely left in a small flash of light.

"Neku…" Joshua whispered with a pained expression, standing there for the rest of the night in utter silence.

--oo0oo--

After rushing around the house to get ready, not even paying any regard to her makeup, clothes, or hair, Neku's mother, Tsuki, made her way to the hospital to check up on her son. Her husband had told her tirelessly the night prior that pneumonia was, at times serious, but not often fatal. Tsuki didn't listen, however. She had heard enough stories of bereavement to know that her son's condition was serious—after all, Neku was only ten, his body was weak and still growing.

At nine o'clock sharply, Tsuki entered Neku's room, her cheeks flushed and red from the crying she had gone through the night prior. Although most hospitals allowed parents and guardians to stay through the night, Neku's doctors advised her not to—his condition was severe and he needed to rest in complete silence away from any stress. So she left…and now she was back, worse than she had been the night before.

She found her son resting lifelessly on the bed, eyes tightly screwed shut. His skin was horridly pale and his usually cheerful lips were turned into an emotionless expression. His chest rose and fell at random intervals, proving that he was undergoing difficulties breathing, even in his sleep. Her heart stung and she quietly crept over to her slumbering son, gathering the chair nearby.

"You're so brave," she whispered, her messy red hair falling in her eyes as she reached out to stroke her son's hair. "_So brave_," she repeated, willing herself not to cry once more.

Neku's eyes fluttered open drowsily, his body aching all over. "Mom?" he asked in a barely coherent mumble.

"I'm here," she stated reassuringly, forcing a smile onto her exhausted lips. Her skinny fingers continued sifting through Neku's hair as she sat close to his bedside, humming a lullaby under her breath. "Did you sleep all right?"

"Yeah… I guess," Neku answered in a hoarse voice, his throat dry and itchy. " 'least I slept."

"Of course," Tsuki responded and continued stroking her hand through Neku's hair. "I wish there was something more I could do for you…"

"It's okay, Mom. I'll be fine," he stated quietly, eyes shutting. "I'm strong." His voice was drenched with childish naivety that caused his mother to mentally wince. All children thought they were invincible at this age. Her heart stung even more.

"I love you," she stated after a moment of silence, her eyes shut as well. "So much."

"I love you too, Mom," Neku responded at once, voice drained and body craving sleep again. He wasn't about to complain about how warm he was feeling or how much his body was hurting. He wouldn't. He didn't want to worry his Mother any more. "Tell Dad I love him too if I don't see him before you do."

"Of course, Neku," Tsuki responded, fighting back tears. "He'll be here after work."

"Was he here last night after you left?" Neku asked in a whisper, body flush against the bed as the morning light slipped into the room, barely noticeable on his skin.

"No dear, he left a few minutes before I did, don't you remember?" Her lips turned into a frown.

"I…thought he was here. It sounded like him, anyway. Maybe it was just a doctor," Neku reasoned and childishly nuzzled the pillow his heavy head was resting on. "But it really felt like Dad…He did that thing with my hair. You know…that you sometimes do…push my hair behind my ear."

"Maybe you were just imagining it," Tsuki stated and did the action Neku had narrated regardless, wanting to hug her son so badly.

"Maybe…" Neku trailed off some. "Go get something to eat, Mom. I'll be fine while you're gone."

"…Need anything from the cafeteria? I'll sneak it in," she stated as she arose from the chair, eyes gleaming hopefully at her pale son. "Anything at all and I'll get it for you, Neku."

"I'm all set," he whispered and smiled warmly, albeit exhaustedly, at her. "Just go eat," he urged.

"All right…I'll be back in a few minutes."

With that, and a quick kiss to his forehead, she left the room, leaving Neku once more in uncomfortable and frightening silence. He lay there groggily for a few moments, chest heaving. A random urge to cry came upon him out of nowhere, causing the young boy to bit his lip and force the hot tears away. "I won't die," he whispered to himself, hugging himself pathetically. "I can't die…Mom and Dad won't let that 

happen…"

The light filtering through the curtains rippled just slightly, though nothing in the room seemed to change. There was a small breath of cool air, before something warm brushed against Neku's forehead, soft and comforting, strong and protective. It was barely noticeable - but still there, as it had been constantly at his side since he first set foot in the hospital. Joshua watched the boy with tired eyes - he never needed to sleep, being dead did come with a few privileges - but his lethargy came from worry and dread, constantly preparing himself to see the worst happen to Neku... this small, frail little boy he adored so much. He told himself he wouldn't let anything happen to him - he couldn't. But...

"I won't let you die." He whispered, though he knew the brunet wouldn't hear him. Perhaps he was talking to ease his own troubled state. "I won't... I'm right here_. I'll always be right here_."

Although Neku could not hear the words, nor distinguish the feeling of a hand from his own fever, the other's presence continued to comfort him. HIs troubled blue eyes fell shut as he laid there in complete silence, a warm feeling spreading throughout his body. Not one of a painful fever, but one of comfort. Perhaps having his Mother here now had brought it on?

"Why am I so sleepy?..." he asked himself as his mind threatened to shut off completely. "Maybe...I just need a nap," he mumbled and allowed his mind to drift off, a deep sleep engulfing him. However, unlike most sleep, this one did not let him go and rendered his mind completely unable to leave the dreamworld. He had fallen into a sickness-induced sleep that kept his body in a comatose state, hoping to heal itself by these means.

When Neku's mother returned with a muffin and milk in her hands from the cafeteria, concern flickered in her eyes. "His little body can't handle this," she whispered to herself as she sat down beside his bed, cradling her scant food with a frown on her face. "At least in his dreams he won't be in too much pain..."

She closed her eyes and reached out with her free hand to stroke Neku's sweat-coated hair. "I love you," she repeated in the eerie silence. "And I'll be here when you wake up again, I promise."

However, nearly five hours later, Neku had still not awoken from his slumber. A few nurses had come in to check on the boy, and Neku's mother had shooed them away, telling them that her little boy needed rest to recover. They apprehensively left, leaving the grief-stricken mother to herself. It was not until the Doctor himself came in that Tsuki realized that the sleep Neku was experiencing was far more than his usual slumber.

"...His body has shut down," the doctor deadpanned as he checked a few tests and Neku's forehead with a frown. "His body is trying to recover and fight off the sickness... I'm afraid he won't awake until he's better." ... If he gets better.

Tsukui's heart dropped. "And if he doesn't?..." she whispered, surprised that she would even ask such a thing.

"...I'm sorry," the black-haired, stoic doctor mumbled as he held the folder close to himself and looked away from the boy. "I'll increase his meds...hopefully that'll help." He left the room to fulfill that spoken order, leaving Tsuki sitting by Neku's beside, tears appearing in her eyes once more.

Joshua had known, the moment Neku had slipped away from consciousness, that there was a good chance he would not wake again. His soul was in turmoil, the light bright but rippling with unease as if caught in waves, tossing him about with disregard. He didn't want to believe it, he couldn't... Neku was too strong for this - he would fight it, and he would win. But the hours passed, and the moment the doctor gave his final words and tears sprang from his mother's eyes, suddenly, his optimism faded. Death was lingering in the room, he could sense it... he always could, when a person was fading.

No... he won't lose Neku again. Not like this. He's so young and so full of life, finally living and playing and smiling like he never did in his previous life.

Tenderly the Composer walked over to the opposite side of the bed, glancing at the boy's grief-stricken, crying mother. "Neku..." He whispered, reaching down with a careful hand to tuck some of the soft orange locks behind his ear. He tried his best to smile, lips pitifully turning up ever so slightly as he held back tears of his own.

Let the Angels strike him down. He could hardly give a damn. Hundreds of years of selflessly sacrificing his freedom and life for his city, he should be entitled to one moment of selfishness. And if not... he was prepared for that too.

"_Naest'l... Mjnklor t's lun..."_ He whispered, voice slipping into the RG, his ethereal form shimmering as he placed two gentle fingers upon the boy's forehead, at the center of the storm buried in his soul. Slowly his fingertips began to glow, the light becoming the faintest glow to the eyes of the living. "_Kjr'vet tus..."_

Neku's hand twitched as he laid there, mind slipping in and out of sub consciousness. A groan escaped his lips as the young boy felt life trickle back into his body. How, he wasn't quite certain nor did he care. His eyes opened and a soft groan escaped his lips. "M-mom?" he gasped, lurching forward somewhat.

"Neku!" his mother exclaimed, eyes going from filled with melancholy to hope. "You're alive..."

"Of course," he whispered drowsily as he offered an exhausted smile to his mother. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Neku..." She burst into tears and hid her face, not wanting to bother her son. She silently prayed to the heavens above, thanking them for the miracle that had been bestowed onto her son.

Joshua let out a shaky breath he hadn't known he had been holding, finally able to smile without hiding behind a mask. It had worked... it really worked. He was able to get rid of the fever like would dispose of Noise... just, simply, erased it.

He would be fine.

Without another word, Shibuya's composer turned to leave, facing the window that allowed the light of the sunset to peek through the curtains, washing his colorless form with warm hues of red, blue, and violets. He could finally rest now... but he knew he was in for a lecture when he would return to Sanae in the River. If the Angels punish him, so be it. He was too relieved, and overjoyed to care.

Unbeknownst to the living, Shibuya's Composer left, engulfing the room in hope and happiness. Neku's mom clasped her son's hand tightly, willing her tears to stop. She shot her son another warm smile as she stroked the back of Neku's hand, never once allowing her gaze to leave from her son's, and never once stopping her words of gratefulness to the heavens above.

After a moment, the Doctor from earlier that day entered the room along with Neku's rather distraught father. The brunet's eyes were bloodshot and his usually pristine looking clothes were wrinkled from a day of worrying and tense concern. When his blue eyes fell upon his son, a look of utter relief crossed his features.

The Doctor arched a brow, falling silent as the parents of the boy happily hung close to him, whispering words of love and thanks. The Doctor rubbed the back of his head with confusion. Never before had he seen a boy exit that comatose-like stage so quickly. Quietly, the tall man walked over and stretched his hand out to check Neku's pulse and head, finding no fever and irregular heartbeat. How was that possible?

As Neku's father ruffled Neku's hair, Tsuki's gaze wandered off to other part of the room, wanting to stare out at the sun she had been ignoring for the past few days. Her gaze locked with a rather unusual shimmer followed by what appeared to be a dissipating form. Her breath hitched inaudibly as she wathced whatever had been there disappear without a sound. She smiled to herself, looking back to her son. _'Maybe he truly does have a guardian angel after all..._'

Down underneath the city, within the Shibuya River, the silver-haired Composer smirked as he walked passed Sanae, who had already begun to lecture him of the trouble he'll be in for meddling with the living - but he didn't listen. He didn't care. Neku was safe and well - that's all that mattered to him.

"Boss, you listenin'? Your ass is gonna ge-" The Producer was cut off by a chuckle.

"Guardian Angel... I've been demoted." Joshua mused with a smile, obviously not paying attention to anything Sanae was trying to drive into his boss' thick skull.

_"I dunno... kinda like the sound of that."_

--oo0oo--

Kind of a short first chapter, but the following ones should be a tad longer. Each chapter will be a different age for Neku – and they don't necessarily go in order!


	2. Death's Love

**Title:** Transcendent  
**Characters:** Joshua/Reincarnated!Neku  
**Rating:** PG-13 for now  
**Warnings:** Spoilers for end of the game – quite possibly major spoilers for the secret reports  
**Summary:** Unable to govern his death, he could only watch his proxy fade, his soul lingering and life to be born anew. Reincarnation fic.  
**Notes:** Co-written with feverishlove.

**Chapter 2**

_Death's Love_

It was a Monday: Neku hated Mondays. Not because it was the beginning or the week, nor because he had to drag his lazy body out of his dorm bed and trudge down to his first class at sharply eight am, but because he had a full day of classes that usually consisted on countless tests--that he usually failed--due to the fact he was not quite awake yet. And nothing was worse than failing college tests.

"I'm awake today," Neku told himself as he dragged his fingers through his hair, frowning at how much it was spiking today. He didn't like it when it stuck up so much in the air like this--he preferred it flat, but it never seemed to allow him to get it that way.

The young adult sighed as he headed down the familiar cobblestone paths to the main building of his college, away from the dorms. The skinny male had on an oversized sweater accompanied with baggy cargo pants. The late autumn breeze whipped by the male as he walked, rustling his already messy hair.

"Awake," he repeated and rubbed his right eye as he clutched his belongings in his left.

After a few more minutes of quietly traversing through the campus--which was only an hour drive from where he originally grew up in Shibuya-- Neku arrived at his class. The drowsy orangey brunet entered the lecture room and took a seat in one of the back seats, allowing his books and notebooks and pencils to crash down onto the desk. Rather lazily, Neku put his head down, not only tired but bored as hell. Maybe he could get a few minutes of sleep in before the Professor arrived...

Neku was able to get five, perhaps even ten minutes of light snoozing before the rest of the student filtered into the stadium-like seating of the lecture room, chattering aimlessly before the professor 

walked in, a middle-aged man in a sharp, clean cut suit and slick black hair. With a few words he was able to get the attention of the class, an immediately jumped into the lecture he started last week, writing down a few key points on the blackboard behind him to refresh the student' minds.

"Sakuraba-Kun," The professor called, noticing how drowsy the orange-haired teen was once again. "You awake? This is important."

"I'm awake," Neku called back, lifting his head drowsily from the desk. He offered a weak smile towards the Professor and rubbed his eyes, pulling out his notebook.

Though he didn't seem completely convinced, the professor continued speaking, flipping through a few pages in his text book and read aloud an excerpt of a famous poem written by some dead guy that probably had no idea his half-assed writing would one day be driven into the youths of the world like a hammer and a very rusty, probably crooked nail. It was monotonous and drab. It was boring. Most traditional Japanese literature classes were.

A soft whisper of warm air brushed past the brunet's cheek, a soft sparkle of light appearing at his side as Shibuya's Composer appeared in all his ambiguous glory, still in his UG form. "Nekuu" He cooed and pressed his lips to Neku's in a timid, almost sickeningly sweet kiss. With, of course, no prior warning.

Neku jolted backwards in surprise, half of his skinny body falling off the bench he was resting on. His cheeks burned hot red and it took his head a moment to catch up with what happened.

"Joshua..." he groaned in slight annoyance as he rubbed his hot cheek, sitting carefully back up in his seat.

"Sakuraba-Kun?" The professor called, staring up at the blushing student, a few of his fellow classmates mirroring the gaze. "You alright?"

"Yeah. Just felt a bit...sick all of a sudden. I'm sorry, continue please," he stated sheepishly, lowering his head in embarrassment as he began silently cursing the silveret, face still unbelievably warm.

"Sick?" The Composer echoed, now sitting beside Neku like any other student would be on the benches, elbows on the desk with hands propping up his chin in an innocent fashion. Difference was, Joshua was 

sitting much closer than anyone else would, his shoulders touching the slightly shorter brunet's. "How offensive. My kiss made you sick?"

Neku shifted his gaze to Joshua, glancing around the room. No one seemed to be staring at Joshua so… "It didn't make me sick," he murmured under his breath and shrugged his shoulders. "I needed an excuse as to why I was suddenly falling off my chair with red cheeks, didn't I?"

"You could have just told the professor you were daydreaming about me," Joshua grinned, fiddling with one of Neku's pens beside his notebook - which, if anyone decided to look over to where they were sitting, would find such pen floating and twirling mid-air between the Composer's nonexistent fingers. "Being perfect, charming and handsome in every way, of course it would be acceptable to see a young man with untamed hormones blush and fall out of his seat. I'm just that awesome."

Neku snorted in amusement under his breath, closing his eyes. "Of course, Josh," he mused quietly and relaxed in his seat, zoning out the Professor and instead listening to his friend. "Don't know why you choose to kiss me as your welcoming gesture--most people say _hello_."

"But you just looked so cute, half asleep with your lips parted ever so slightly" Joshua hummed, voice almost catching a melody. "How could I not kiss you when you're like that?"

"I swear, Josh, you're going to give me a heart attack one of these days," he murmured under his breath and sighed. "The first time you did that I couldn't get myself to speak to you for a week. Remember?"

"Mmhm..." The Composer began to twirl his pen in little circles on the desk, smiling idly. "You had the most adorable expression on your face... big pouty lips, flushed cheeks and the slightest bit of tears in your eyes" His grin widened, eyes closing as he seemed to lose himself in the memory - which, in the current circumstances, was just a little creepy. "I can't believe you were 15 and never kissed anyone before. Well, not that you know of..." The way he trailed off that last sentence was a little more than suspicious, but he didn't care to hide it.

Neku arched a brow. His former self would have never caught on to Joshua's statement, but in this life, he was far more intelligent, and book smart.

"...Joshua, did you randomly kiss me when I was asleep or something?" he murmured and eyed his friend suspiciously. Okay, well, just the slightest smarter.

"Maaaybe" Was all the Composer replied, smiling far too innocently at the brunet.

"..._Pervert_," Neku stated and tossed his friend a glare, pointedly locking gazes with him.

Joshua merely blinked, still smiling that smile of his that allowed no window into his thoughts. There was a brief moment of silence as they stared at each other, the Composer well aware of the disgruntled state the brunet was in.

So he leaned in and stole another kiss.

"_Joshua_," Neku grumbled again as he flushed a shade of red from the kiss. "I told you to keep your hormones in check during class..."

"But your face was so close to mine How could that not be an invitation?" Joshua giggled.

"My face wasn't that close, Joshua," Neku stated in his own defense, picking up his pencil and idly taking down a few notes before looking back to the silveret with an arched brow. "...Why are you here, anyhow?"

The ethereal man shrugged, giving him a genuinely bored look before he glanced down at the professor writing something perhaps only vaguely important on the blackboard behind him. "It's my week off, so of course I'd want to spend some time with you, Neku dear"

"...Is your version of 'spending time together' kissing?" Neku murmured lamely, the faintest hint of pink grazing his stubborn cheeks as he averted his gaze, feigning disinterest.

"Only part of it." He hummed back, poking at the younger boy's cheek with an obvious grin. "I'm just the affection sort - might as well get used to it."

Neku rolled his eyes. "...I've had to get used to it since I was fourteen," he reasoned and shook his head. "You've always been the most...touchy of all my friends, of course I'm used to it now."

"Touchy? Oh come now - you make it sound like I pester you all the time." Joshua paused for a moment, considering that statement. Whenever there wasn't a Game that needed to be overseen, he pretty 

much was around Neku, even if he didn't realize it - which, as of late, he has been able to notice it, more often than not. He remembered the days he would constantly be by the brunet's side, and he was never the wiser. Perhaps because he's been getting used to his aura, he's been more able to actively notice the Composer even if he was trying to be stealthy.

Wait, that made him sound like a stalker. Which would be true, sort of - well, it sounds kind of perverted... it's not like he's done anything indecent. Well, not a lot. Every once and a while.

And the indecent things Neku was oblivious to, for now, anyway. Well, most of them.

"You're not pestering me," Neku pointed out honestly and looked to his friend. "I just find it amusing that you're such a touchy and sensitive guy." A smirk.

"Sensitive?" Hardly. Around Neku, maybe - but he still didn't know that side of the Composer his previous life got to know a little too well. And he didn't intend to show it, unless he really wanted to see. He didn't plan on ever bringing it up. "Yeah, I suppose I am. Gonna sue me?"

"Maybe," Neku chuckled quietly and shook his head. "And to think I was the only person you got all touchy on," he hummed quietly under his breath, voice dripping with sarcasm and amusement.

"Well of course! You're the most fun to tease" The silver-haired man reached up to idly pull a bit at one of his orange locks.

The girl sitting beside Neku, probably a good ten, fifteen feet away on the same bench, glanced over and gave the boy an odd look, noticing there was a part of his hair sticking up and... was it moving on its own? Okay, that's it... no more leftover pizza and three day old jalapeños for breakfast.

"One of these days you're finally going to get laid and you'll lose all your creepy touchiness," Neku lectured under his breath to Joshua knowingly.

"Who says I've never been laid? I have been around for over 300 years." The Composer stated, like it was the simplest, most natural thing to say. Which was probably why it sounded so weird.

Neku frowned. "All right, correction: When you finally get some after the long hiatus of being inactive," he mused and shook his head in disbelief.

"Oh my!" Joshua perfectly feigned embarrassment, holding his hands up to his mouth and actually able to pull off a blush in his practically colorless form. "Y-you're so _bold_, Neku I never thought you'd start coming onto me" He turned his head and acted like a flustered schoolgirl.

"_What_?" Neku's face grew hot red and he stared at Joshua for a long moment. "_Me_ coming onto _you_?" Yes, he was flustered.

"_Kyaaaa!"_ Joshua continued to look away from Neku, hands on his face, still very... creepily acting like a blushing virgin. Which by normal Joshua standards, would be weird - but the fact that he was also doing this in his true form was probably about as weird as it got. "Neku suggesting I have sex with him... I'm so very embarrassed!"

Neku frowned and continued staring at Joshua. "Idiot...,it's not like you haven't thought about it before," he murmured in his defense and went back to copying down notes, having to use his free hand to rub his blush away. No results, as figured.

Suddenly the voice came from the opposite side of him - "Mmm, suppose I can't deny that." Joshua stated with a smile, suddenly sitting on the left side of Neku, instead of the right - how he was able to do that sort of thing was still somewhat of a mystery. "It's not exactly my fault - I mean, that one night you found out you could masturbate, and you were fourteen-"

Neku paled. "You were..._watching_ me?" he gasped, face turning a hot red as he gripped tightly onto his pencil. "What the hell?" he demanded, pathetically trying to keep his voice down to a whisper.

And it failed, miserably. "...Sakuraba?" The professor called for a third time, setting his text book down hesitantly as he looked up at the young man oddly. "...If you continue to disrupt my class, I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

Neku looked up sharply to his Professor, face stained with embarrassment. "I'm sorry," he inserted quickly, lowering his gaze and murmuring curse words under his breath.

"My my, I never thought you were the rebel type, Neku." Joshua spoke with feigned disbelief. "You should really pay attention to your classes."

Neku looked to Joshua and frowned. "You're going to get me expelled," he muttered and lowered his gaze. "...You can stay if you keep things G rated."

"Hmph. Trying to order the Composer of Shibuya around?" Joshua frowned with a fairly serious look on his face, leaning in closer to the brunet. "That doesn't bode well for you, dear."

Neku shivered and closed his eyes in pathetic resolve. "...If you're going to hit on me, save it for after class..."

The silver-haired Composer simply shrugged and gave the young man a sweet smile. "Okay." He replied with something dripping from his voice - sugar? venom? It was always too hard to tell with the guy.

And he promptly disappeared.

Neku grumbled to himself as Joshua left. He lowered his gaze back to his things and reread the notes that he had managed to take down. Half of them were notes, and the other were repeated scribbles of the other boy's name. The young adult twitched some and crumpled the paper up before staring ahead towards the front of the room. Might as well pay attention for a bit...

--

An hour or two later, Neku arrived at the college cafeteria with his things already deposited at his dorm room. He stretched his arms lazily above his head as he waited in line for the cash register, having nothing more than a bottled water and a slice of pizza. He wasn't much of lunch-type, more so a dinner guy.

As the brunet paid for this food and went to find a table, there was a soft tapping on his shoulder.

"Mind if I eat with you?" A girl around his age asked sweetly, brown eyes looking up at him under bleached blond hair. "Sorry if I'm being too bold... but you're cute. My name's Mei." She straightened up, 

holding a plate with just a small bowl of miso soup, some crackers, and a diet coke. Her clothes were... a little less conservative than most, considering how cold it was outside. A tight pair of washed out jeans that hit barely on her hips, with hole ripped on the knees - and a tiny baby tee that exposed her midriff, and a flirtatious bellybutton ring.

Neku blinked in surprise at the offer. He usually ate his lunch by himself--or with Joshua, when he wasn't being a complete asshole. The brunet offered a smile towards the girl. "Sure, why not?"

He set his things down at the table before him and quickly took a seat, gesturing for the girl to do such as well. This was quite new.

"So," Mei sat down on the chair beside Neku, smiling sweetly. "What's your name? I've seen you around campus before." She completely ignored her food, focusing on the brunet.

"Neku," he stated and offered a friendly smile to the girl, something his former self would have never done to complete strangers. "And I think I've seen you, as well. Between classes and stuff."

"Oh, really?" She blushed and stroked some of her golden locks behind her ear and fidgeted a bit. "I saw you a few weeks ago and never got the nerve to talk to you... guess I'm a bit shy."

"I'm nothing to get shy over," he reasoned, rubbing his neck with embarrassment as he licked his bottom lip thoughtfully.

"B-but you're actually very handsome, Neku-Kun!" Mei insisted with a sweet smile. "I'm surprised you aren't swamped by girls constantly... and you're polite, too." Her blush grew darker as she fiddled with her fingers a bit, looking up at him from partially behind her bangs. "Gosh, I hope I'm not too forward, but... D-do you have a girlfriend?"

Neku was rather flabbergasted by the girl's assertiveness. It was rare that a girl he didn't know previously spoke to him, but to ask him out? He felt his cheeks turn red as he fidgeted with his piece of pizza. "Actually, I don't have one," he reasoned.

"No - he has a boyfriend." A familiar voice came from behind, before a pair of pale, skinny - yet somehow strong arms wrapped around Neku's shoulders. A silver-haired youth that looked probably a 

year or two older than the both of them gave a half-hearted glare to the girl.

Neku bristled in surprise. He felt the arms go around him and then the words trickled into his ear. _Boyfriend_? Since when was Joshua his boyfriend? Flirtatious and gay best friend, maybe. But…

"..._Joshua_?" the brunet asked, glancing over his shoulder to stare up at the other.

"Oh my," Mei smiled in surprise, completely taken aback. "...Your friend?" She laughed, obviously thinking the statement was a joke.

"_Boy_friend." Joshua frowned more, resting his chin atop Neku's head. "What, are you a whore and hard of hearing? Such a shame."

Neku felt his body flash between cold and warm. "Josh...since when have we been dating?" he demanded, voice slightly harsh due to the rude words flying from his best friend's mouth.

Mei was silent for a few moments, before she stood up from her seat, sending the glare right back at the silver-haired man. "_E-excuse_ me?! What right do you have to call me a whore?" She grit her teeth, fists clenching.

"Oh - so you don't call picking up a new guy every week just to get some action in bed whoring?" Joshua raised an eyebrow. "If you weren't so superficial, you could at least try to get to know the men you're tapping every night - or is it your life's mission to catch every type of STD?"

Neku felt suddenly ignored. "Joshua, stop it," the brunet stated and reached up to grab his friend's arm, trying to gather his attention before the whole cafeteria noticed the heated debate between the girl and the Composer.

The blond girl's glare intensified, trying to hide a look of surprise. "I don't know where you heard those filthy rumors, but they're-"

"Haruko Kasuraga - AKA Mei - The first time you had sex, you were thirteen. Ever since then, your parents have tried to teach you better ethics - which was why you moved out three years ago, so you 

could get a job at a strip club and pleasure bar, and earn money without having to waste time going to college. Am I hitting a nerve yet, or do I have to notify someone that you're not even going to this school?" Joshua's violet eyes seemed to glaze over, the air about him somehow a little more dangerous than it usually was.

Mei stiffened and went pale, taking a step back. "Y_-you...!_"

"_Josh_!" Neku hollered, attempting to interject. He fell silent after a moment, more than just the bad feelings swarming around them. He could feel the noise...closing in around the girl. He couldn't see it, but damn did he feel it. Or what he assumed to be it... Why it felt so familiar, he didn't know, but his face turned as pale as Mei's.

The blond girl grit her teeth again and recovered her stone-cold glare at Joshua, glancing at Neku who seemed to be puzzled with something at the moment. Was it because he believed this white-haired creep? He was a fucking stalker!

"Fuck this! Have fun banging your boyfriend, you little _faggot_!" She growled and stomped away - only to step on a wet patch of tile that seemed to appear out of nowhere, her heels easily slipping out from under her legs as she fell to her butt in an undignified manner. She glared back at the two men before running out of the cafeteria, where she promptly screamed as a bird decided to shit all over her perfectly bleached hair.

Neku would have begun hollering at Joshua for all the attention he had caused, but his mind was too displaced. Shivers danced up and down his spine, more than they usually did when Joshua mentioned the Noise, or whatever the hell they were. The feeling seemed to linger in the room, not as strong as when Mei had been in it, but still quite potent. He...never had had an actual encounter with a 'Noise', so why did he feel deja vu so badly?

Joshua couldn't help but grin at Mei from outside the cafeteria window, who was screeching and trying to get the bird crap out of her hair. If anyone asked, it totally wasn't his fault. Really.

"Mm, what's wrong Neku?" Joshua mused with still a bit of a smile, letting going of the younger boy as he turned to sit in the seat the blond girl was sitting in before. "You look pale."

Neku said nothing for a moment, his body nearly frozen. He snapped out of whatever trance he had been in when Joshua's words reached his ears. "Huh?" He looked to the other. "...Sorry, spacing out."

"..." The Composer said nothing at first, clearly catching what Neku was feeling, and for a good reason. He would have never expected the brunet to be so sensitive to the Noise, but it appeared he was. "Don't worry," He whispered reassuringly with a knowing grin, leaning in a bit closer, but not close enough to arouse suspicion from curious onlookers. "I won't let the Noise affect you. They can't hurt you."

Neku nodded slowly. "...Why can I feel them like this? I'm not supposed to," he murmured under his breath to his friend. "You said no one in the real world is supposed to notice their presence..."

"A few can," The silver-haired man spoke softly, but didn't take the effort to whisper - the words he didn't want others to hear would fall on deaf ears. "They're called Psychics or Mediums - the real ones, anyway. You're probably influenced by my power though, since I'm around you a lot."

Neku nodded. "Ah...that's probably why," he agreed and looked to Joshua once more. "Did you have to be so cruel to that girl?"

"About what?" The Composer blinked, expression blank. "The truth? I'll be damned if I let people that that around you. She was pretending to be a sweet, innocent young girl in love - when in reality, she's a horny little slut who can't go two days without sucking someone's cock. You haplessly fell into her radar."

Neku sighed. "I really just think you're determined to keep me from getting laid," he muttered. "I think you enjoy seeing me sexually frustrated, Josh."

"Ehh?" Joshua leaned forward, dramatically grapping the brunet's hands in an overly affectionate gesture. "But Neku dear, I'll have sex with you any time you want! Just say the word and I'll pin you to the bed!"

The way he said it made it sound like he was being sincerely kind - but it somehow didn't sound quite right.

Neku frowned. "As if," he murmured and looked off to the right, attempting to hide his blush. "I know you're just a flirt. You'd never want to be serious with your best friend." He laughed awkwardly.

For once Joshua was rendered speechless, as he gave Neku a look he rarely gave anyone - a look of contemplative sadness, eyes slightly glazed over as he seemed to be lost in a memory. "Right." He tried to hide it, smiling lightly. If that's what Neku wanted to hear, then he'd give it to him. He was hoping for, but didn't expect the same kind of relationship he had with the brunet's previous life. He would tease and flirt, but if that was all the boy would tolerate, then he could live with that. "Sorry, didn't mean to get your hopes up."

Neku rolled his eyes some but paused, leaning closer to inspect the other's expression. "Just now...what were you thinking about? I've never seen you that sad..."

"Hm?" The Composer continued to smile, but it was just a tad melancholy. "What do you mean? Really now Neku, you should get more sleep at night - you're dozing in class and now you're seeing things." He laughed.

Neku sighed. "Fine, keep it from me," he stated stubbornly and decided to play use best friend's tricks against him. He couldn't make his classmates think any worse of him after what just happened, anyhow.

"You know you want to tell me, Josh," the brunet stated, leaning close to Joshua's ear to whisper, "_Please_?"

Joshua stiffened immediately, blinking before giving Neku a nervous glance. The hell was that?! That was... almost _sensual_. It wasn't like him at all.

"N-Neku," He tried to smile and stay nonchalant, leaning away from the brunet slightly. "It's nothing. It... doesn't really concern you." His gaze fell slightly along with his smile as he looked down at the miso soup Mei left. "Not..._this_ you, anyway."

"...I don't know what's got you so down," Neku began, Joshua's words making no sense, nor his actions, "but if you do want to talk about it, you know you can talk to me about it, all right?" He slowly reached out and took his best friend's hand, shakily interlacing their fingers beneath the table.

Once again the brunet caught Joshua by surprise, Shibuya's Composer looking at Neku with wide eyes, completely baffled. He wasn't used to this - not from this Neku. This Neku was more like a son, a brother, someone he felt more apt to protect than... get involved with. He was way more forward with his emotions, and Joshua still hadn't gotten used to it.

"Yeah," The Composer managed a smile, squeezing his hand back in reply. "Thanks, Neku. But... I won't bother you with it." He shook his head, laughing slightly. "It's probably against the rules anyway." Not that he didn't mind breaking them for him. "C'mon, stop acting so serious! Your face is gonna stick like that." He teased.

Neku smirked slightly at the other's last words. "Oh well. If it gets stuck like that, at least I'll still have you around," he hummed and kept their hands interlocked, the Composer's warm hand sending small pricks of color into his cheeks. After a moment of the smirk, Neku proceeded to state, "And if you told me, it wouldn't be bothering me, Josh. You know that."

Joshua seemed to ponder his words for a moment, looking at Neku with that unfamiliar melancholic smile again. "...How selfish of me." He whispered to himself, before getting up out of his seat and tugged Neku, their hands still intertwined. "Let's go to Hachiko. I haven't been there in a while." He spoke suddenly, intentions as unreadable as they ever were with him.

Neku sighed and got up from his finished pizza, looking at Joshua with a perplexed expression--one he usually had when Joshua was involved. "Hachiko?" he repeated and followed after the silveret, brow arching more. "What's...exciting about that place?"

"You don't like it?" Joshua replied with a smile, still tugging the brunet along, a few girls on a table nearby giggling at them as they left the cafeteria.

Neku rolled his eyes. "Didn't say that," he retorted curtly and then added on, "I don't dislike it. I just think it's kind of boring. It's a statue of a dog...what's there really to see?"

"It's... kind of a special place for me." He replied with an unreadable expression, continuing to smile. "I haven't been there in a long time."

"A special place," Neku repeated and scrunched his nose in thought. "Oh well. Another secret to add to the Joshua file in my mind," he joked.

The Composer laughed and barely said anything as they walked down the streets, finding a bus that would take them close enough to Hachiko - a bus that Joshua mysteriously had a card for, but that sort of thing is something that Neku should have gotten used to years ago. The silver-haired man chatted about things almost too casually, things almost... normal. How he had been really busy last week with his job (which was anything buy normal, but if someone was eavesdropping they wouldn't know by listening), and how he had been a little tired lately, but this new blend Sanae came up with seemed to do the trick on those few nights he would go without sleep.

"Here we are," Joshua grabbed Neku's hand again - something he figured may become a habit if the brunet would continue to allow it. It was a pretty short drive, so there weren't too many awkward silences between them, since the silver-haired man seemed to avoid anything and everything that brought up their conversation from earlier.

When the pair departed from the bus, Neku stretched his free arm above his head and yawned, bringing the hand to his eyes to rub. "It's just ahead, right?" Neku wasn't a frequenter to this part of Shibuya due to the fact that their college was clear across the city.

"Yeah," The Composer replied with a smile, weaving his way through the crowds, earning a few odd stared from the people around him - after all, seeing young men holding hands like they were was pretty uncommon. His steps slowed as they got closer, before they stood before the dog statue, his eyes glazing over a bit like they did before as he smiled fondly. "Sorry," He ran a hand through his hair as he finally let go of Neku's hand, feeling a bit embarrassed. "I'm not sure why I drug you along like I did... I don't really have the habit of thinking before I do things like that."

"It's fine," Neku reassured, looking to Joshua with curiosity scrawled all across his face. "You don't have to apolog--" he began but fell silent when his gaze rested on the familiar statue of Hachiko. His eyes raked over the dog's lithe body for a few moments before his head pounded a bit, a rather melancholic feeling rushing over his body on its own accord.

Neku's fingers twitched as he stood there, eyes never leaving the dog's stone ones. He had only been here once, and that was with his Mother, so why did it feel like this was such a common place to be? A girl's name fluttered into his mind, one he had never heard before. He kept it to himself, labeling the fleeting thought as crazy.

Joshua blinked and glanced over at the young man beside him, hands casually stuffed in his pockets. "...Neku?" He asked, a look of concern washing over his face as he couldn't help but notice the odd 

expression his friend wore. "Sorry... we can go home if you want. This really is a boring place for you, huh?"

"Have you...ever brought me here before?" Neku whispered, looking over to Joshua with a dumbfounded expression, lips caught between a frown and a straight line.

Joshua's brows furrowed. No, there was no way he could have remembered... That rarely ever happens - so why would it happen to Neku? "Well," He began, putting on a smile for him. "You came here with your mom once before, remember?"

Neku nodded. "I know that," he stated and reached out to gingerly touch the dirty statue that had weathered in age. "I asked if _we_ did, Joshua."

The Composer felt a lump in his throat, trying to swallow it back down. "...Did _we_?" He echoed, gaze falling a bit. "No...no, we didn't." He insisted, but bit his lip a bit in frustration. "Why?"

Neku said nothing for a moment, staring at the statue. He was fairly certain he had been here with Joshua many times. Hadn't they...had a conversation about the statue's past and the dog it was modeled after? How he waited for his owner everyday? And the reason was ambiguous but Neku had vehemently argued that-- "He was waiting for his master," he whispered.

"Yeah," Joshua nodded, wondering if Neku had heard the story - most everyone had, but if he never made a trip out here on his own, it was possible he'd never heard it. "That's how the story goes." He watched Neku for a moment, contemplative. He supposed... he supposed it wouldn't hurt, right? After all, Neku... Neku would want to know the truth one day.

"Hey," He tried to smile, but felt like doing anything but. "I hate to do this to you again, but... you think we could go to Udagawa?"

"Udagawa? What's there?" He blinked. CAT's mural had mostly faded in time, leaving behind a legacy that his earlier self had adored. The mural was barely visible any longer...and CAT's work had faded with the years. True, Neku was a fan, but not as avid as he had been in the life prior.

"Another place I haven't been to in a long while." He mused a bit, still keeping his smile up. "A place that has some...good memories, and bad ones. I would like to go with you, though." He gently reached out 

and grabbed Neku's hand, fingers interlacing with his again as he pulled the younger man through the crowd at a steady pace.

Ever since lunch, things had been off with them, in Neku's opinion. Joshua had been less of a flirty asshole and more of a quiet one. It didn't make much sense. Had he offended the silveret when he said that they were best friends and he didn't see Joshua wanting to get serious? He shook his head and continued moving through the crowds of Shibuya, the music pulsating through his veins but...he didn't really see the source. It wasn't a familiar type of music, but a kind that rocked his soul, like the bass from a concert.

A shiver ran down his spine as he felt the area pulsating with energy. Negative, positive, and energy that could only belong to the Noise he had felt earlier that day. So, Neku did the only thing he could possibly do, he held onto Joshua's hand tighter.

It didn't take long to walk to Udagawa, but Joshua didn't seem to stop there, continuing the drag Neku through the crowd as they came to the backstreets, a place much less populated - at least, during this time of day.

He lead the brunet over to CAT's mural, which had faded and been redrawn over by other various graffitti - not that it mattered much, the only mural that mattered was far away from the eyes of the living. Slowly Joshua let go of Neku's hand, his gaze looking towards the boy beside him, but avoided direct eye contact. If his hunch was correct, then... then would Neku react to this place too?

This place that he would have mostly horrible, terrifying memories of?

Neku stood there for a moment, surveying the mural. "It's a wall..." he stated, arching a brow as she stared scrupulously at it. "Josh, you dragged me all this way to look at poorly drawn graffiti on a wa--" he begun but his voice faded towards the end, his head pounding more than it had at Hachiko.

Neku braced his body with his free hand against the cold cement as he felt his entire body trembling with an onslaught of undistinguishable emotions and memories that were not his own, but yet his...and... Making contact with the mural with his free hand wasn't a great idea because everything seemed to increase tenfold.

"J...osh?" Neku choked in confusion, hair covering his tightly screwed shut eyes as he nearly convulsed, gunshots sounding in his ears as his body threatened to double over.

Joshua stood where he was, making no effort to help the young man, his expression falling and dark violet eyes watching him with a melancholy, almost painful gaze.

"You wanted to know the truth, Neku...?" He asked quietly, seriously - everything he rarely was. It was like his personality made a complete 180. "You said it wouldn't bother you, no matter what it was?"

Neku looked over to Joshua through cloudy eyes, feeling like he was about to pass out. "Josh?..." he stated again, the other's words barely registering in his overloading mind.

The silver-haired man closed his eyes, looking away from the brunet. Never once did he think that his body would react to memories that weren't present in his mind... whatever emotion the previous Neku had felt was taking toll on this Neku's body, whatever it was - fear, regret, pain... and he knew, with a grimace, that those emotions were justified.

"You... had a past life, Neku." He spoke softly, but he knew the other would hear. "A life, here, in Shibuya."

Neku stared at Joshua, the pain dulling as he leaned against the mural, chest heaving uncontrollably. "...How's that...possible?" he questioned, though didn't really need any justification. Random memories of himself, of the old Neku entered his mind. He grimaced at how...rude he had been, how distant...

"Easy." Joshua's tone was level, almost monotone. "Reincarnation is always a possibility with a soul like yours. " He hesitantly looked at the barely noticeable mural CAT had made all those years ago. "I... I knew you in your previous life." He admitted softly. "That was the reason I watched over you since your birth. I... I had missed you. I didn't want to see you relive the pain you had before."

Neku stared at Joshua for a few moments. "...Is...that why I feel so strongly around you?" He blinked dully, capturing his breath. "Because my past self...knew you?" He ran a hand through his hair. "...I have a feeling that I was an asshole," he murmured, head aching as he leaned against the familiar wall. "Am I right?"

"You? An asshole?" Joshua laughed grimly, gaze lowering to the ground. "No, no you weren't." He spoke softly. "Not compared to me."

Neku stared over at Joshua. "...if I'm...reincarnated," the word felt so odd on his lips, "why can't I remember anything?..."

"There's hardly anyone who remembers their past lives." The Composer shook his head, still staying uncharacteristically quiet. "But it seems... that certain things are triggering emotions in you, ones that you've had in your previous life. At Hachiko, and... here."

"...Care to explain?" Neku murmured as he glanced over his shoulder, back at the mural. True, he did have unexplainable feelings at both places, but no matter what, he couldn't pinpoint why...

"... This," Violet eyes finally met Neku's blue ones hesitantly, his gaze much colder than it usually was. "This was where we first met." He paused again, wondering if he should just leave it at that. Neku could live the rest of this life blissfully unaware that he was so close to his murderer this entire time, unaware of how selfish Joshua truly was. "The reason you're acting the way you are now...The reason you're feeling so much pain..."

"...Was because I killed you here."

Neku fell silent. He stared at Joshua for a long moment, his body turning to ice. "_No_..." he whispered, heart stinging as he tried to remember, for the love of god he just wanted to remember, but he _couldn't_. He clutched at his chest, head dropping as he hid his tearing eyes. "That...can't be..." His best friend...couldn't possibly have done that to him.

"I shot you, killed you here to pull you into the Reaper's Game," The Composer continued, noticing with grief how negatively Neku was reacting. Well, of course... it was only logical. "So that I could use you to win a game against my own Conductor. I put you through Hell... I made you relive the pain and suffering of watching those you cared about being erased and killed, for three weeks. And you pulled through, you persevered despite everything that had happened..." He turned his head, no longer wanting the possibility of locking gazes with Neku again. "...And, when you thought you finally won your freedom, I shot you again."

Neku stared at his best friend with confusion. He looked away quickly, allowing the words to trickle into his mind. "...If you shot me, then why did you meet me in this life?... There must have been a reason..." 

Surprisingly, Neku wasn't flipping out--probably because he was a different person, somewhat, and he didn't have the vivid memories to fuel his rage. Right now he was just encased in confusion.

Joshua laughed grimly, shaking his head again. "I have a question," He looked up hesitantly, giving the brunet an unreadable look - a mix between hesitance, pain, fear, and hope. "Can you honestly allow me to stay by your side, knowing what I did to you in your past life?"

Neku averted his gaze, struggling in his heart for a correct answer. "I'm not the same person," he decided quietly. "If I was, I probably would react differently," he whispered. "Joshua, the person I've gotten to know...this you, if this you is the real-deal, why the hell wouldn't I stay by your side?...It's not like I can remember my past-life anyhow...and besides, I like my current life..."

Shibuya's Composer continued to give Neku a look of mixed emotion, still very unsure of that answer. "You're not the same person, but _I _am." He stated firmly, clenching his fists ever so slightly. He wanted to let it go, he wanted to just smile and say the conversation was over, and go back to how things were before this morning. But he needed to know, he had to make sure Neku was clear of the details before he tried making a decision - because Joshua wasn't sure he'd be able to take the relief of being accepted, only to be crushed when the brunet decided to rethink things over after the rush of adrenaline this whole situation brought.

"You may not remember it, but I still killed you. I shot you _twice_." He paused a moment, eyes lidding slightly as he tried not to show his true emotion under his next statement. "And I let you die a third time."

Neku fell silent once more, letting the words sink in for a third time. The first time had been for the Reaper's Game, right? A dispute between his Conductor? Neku shook his head. There had to be a reason that Joshua had chosen to seek him out in this life--if Joshua had truly been all that bad, his past self would have stayed away from him after the second time...and Joshua wouldn't be here right now, right?

"Joshua...I'm going to ask you this again, why did you seek me out?" he whispered, eyes lifting to stare at the silveret, silence rushing past him as he shivered.

Joshua closed his eyes, stepping back before resting partially against the wall where the CAT mural once stood proudly. "... My own selfishness, as always." He replied quietly. "Your past life... the Neku back then never forgave me for what I did. He hated me, and was afraid of me. But... he told me that he 

trusted me. Because on some twisted level, he considered me a friend." He blinked, still unable to look the brunet in the eye. "Little by little he began to accept me. Not once did he forgive me, but... he let me stay by his side." A small smile. "He was an enigma, just like you. Even after all that had happened, he actually called me a friend."

The silver-haired man rubbed the side of one arm. "And I..." He laughed softly. "I fell in love with him."

Neku felt his entire core tremble. Joshua had been in love with...his past self? His gaze dropped from the mural back down to the ground, his throat tightening. He remained silent, uncertain what to say or do. "...Did he love you back?"

Violet eyes sadly met blue ones. "I... I suppose he did." He laughed softly. "You remember when I told you I wasn't exactly a virgin?"

Neku paled. "You don't mean you...and him..." He gulped and blushed rather hotly. "_Oh god_..."

Joshua's laugh escalated. "More than once." He grinned, watching how flushed Neku had gotten. "Don't worry... that's not why I sought you out."

Neku inhaled deeply, rubbing his warm cheeks with a shiver. "...I take it that's why you're so touchy feely around me," he decided and gulped before looking back up to Joshua.

"Force of habit, mostly." He giggled. "He let me be that way around him... although, his reactions weren't that different from yours. He was frequently embarrassed and got angry at me for doing those things in public." He blushed just a tiny bit himself. "He was the one person I could be myself around - the one person I didn't have to hide anything from. I loved him..._so much_." He paused, smiling with the faintest hint of tears in his eyes. "I had made his life miserable before... and I could only watch him die when his time finally came. I... I wanted to protect him if he was to be reborn. I wanted to protect _you_."

"Even if my love was never returned, even if you went your entire life never knowing I was there, I wanted to make sure you were happy."

Neku's mind attempted to wrap itself around the idea of having lived at a different time, at having done those things with Joshua...having been killed, having played the Reaper's Game. His heart beat heavily in his chest as he closed his eyes and absorbed the information. Joshua had loved this other him.

"Are we similar?" he asked quietly, opening his eyes to stare at the Composer.

Joshua took in a breath, before breathing out a sigh. "Yes... and no." He smiled faintly. "I can find all these things about you that I loved about your previous self... and more things that I love about you." He gave Neku a timid look. "I watched you come into this world thinking you were my Neku... the one from the past. But as you grew up, I found that you're you. Not him. And... I fell in love with you, regardless."

Neku fell to his knees, Joshua's words rendering him unable to stand. "Y-y-you...l-love me?" he choked on his words, body heating. He couldn't breathe all of a sudden and he felt his heartbeat quicken.

There was a long pause, as the silver-man looked down at the brunet with a kind smile, nothing more. "...Yes," His eyes closed. "Yes I do."

It was far more for Neku to take in than everything else Joshua had told him. He stared up at the silveret he had known in this life for well over six years. "I...damnit, you never even...gave me any hints or..." He reached out and held onto Joshua's arm, attempting to get the silveret down to his level.

He only continued to smile as Neku grabbed his arm, bending down to his knees as he put a hand over the brunet's. "I didn't want to burden you with something like this. I don't need my selfish love to be returned... I just want to see you _happy_, Neku."

"Joshua..." he whispered and stared into the violet eyes he had grown up knowing. He oddly didn't mind that his former self knew Joshua in a totally different sense. He was living in the present now. This was his Joshua.. "What I said earlier...at lunch...I only said that because I thought you were appalled by...the idea of me liking you." To be vague.

The Composer blinked, smile falling ever so slightly at the unexpected words. "I would never be appaled by something like that." He said quietly with surprise, wondering why the thought even entered the 

brunet's head. "I would be overjoyed."

"Josh..." Neku whispered and stared at his friend for a long moment. He leaned closer and brushed their lips together cautiously, his eyes slipping shut.

Joshua's violet eyes widened, breath catching in his throat as their lips met ever so timidly. Neku was... kissing him? His heart skipped a beat, eyes falling shut as well, slowly lifting a pale hand to gently cup the boy's cheek, returning the kiss with warmth and adoration. Was this kiss out of pity? For having fallen in love with Neku's previous life, expecting to never have his love returned?

No... somehow, Shibuya's Composer knew it wasn't that. Tears stinging his eyes, his arms wrapped around the brunet's neck, holding him close but never truly deepening the kiss, simply keeping their skin caressed against one another's in a loving embrace. Neku...Neku...!

Neku inhaled deeply, lips pressed softly to Joshua's. His fingers reached out and gingerly held onto the front of Joshua's shirt. "I think...this is the first kiss I've initiated, what do you think?" he whispered and relaxed in the other's familiar embrace.

The silver-haired man paused to laugh softly, fingers brushing through the young man's orange hair. "I do hope...it won't be the last?" He asked timidly, looking into the other's eyes with a hopeful smile.

Neku smirked softly and locked gazes with Joshua briefly. "And why would it?" he chuckled under his breath and shifted to rest his forehead against the Composer's. "I've liked you since I've met you, practically. And...apparently in my life before, so I doubt it'll be the last."

Joshua laughed in good nature, ruffling the boy's hair before kissing him again. "I'll hold you to that." He whispered, smirking at their lips met again.

No, it certainly won't be the last.

--oo0oo--


	3. Ghostly Visitor

**Title:** Transcendent  
**Characters:** Joshua/Reincarnated!Neku  
**Rating:** PG-13 for now  
**Warnings:** Spoilers for end of the game – quite possibly major spoilers for the secret reports  
**Summary:** Unable to govern his death, he could only watch his proxy fade, his soul lingering and life to be born anew. Reincarnation fic.  
**Notes:** Co-written with feverishlove.

**Chapter 3**

_Ghostly Visitor_

Neku had never been one to believe in superstitions or ghost stories that his friends would aimlessly banter on about, but as of lately, he was starting to rethink his carefree philosophy.

The first time that Neku could truly recall something abnormal happening was the day his mother and father both had to work late, leaving him home alone for a few hours. For the first hour, Neku had entertained himself with gaming and snacks, but the second hour his boredom bloomed. The brunet had been wandering throughout his home; glancing at the familiar portraits he passed by, when he felt a sudden wave of warmth shroud him. He had looked up to the ceiling, suspecting a vent to be there, but there was nothing of the sort. He then had looked to his left, then right, and then behind him. Nothing was there, but the warm gust of air continued. After a moment of standing there rather stupidly, the thirteen year old boy had rushed up to his room to continue his game.

Now that Neku was fourteen and a half, the silly little things that used to give him Goosebumps made him laugh. Warm gusts of air? Shadows out of the corner of his eyes? Please, it was just his imagination. The brunet had outgrown his fear of the darkness and 'things that went bump in the night' a few days before he turned fourteen. He was no longer afraid to grope around in the darkness of his bedroom for his book, nor was he afraid to be in his house alone—which was becoming more of common thing considering his father kept receiving promotions.

However, there was one thing that still gave the jovial teenager chills every time it happened. He'd be in his room, or bathroom, fixing his hair or brushing his teeth. Something would appear in the mirror, in the far background, for a split second. By the time he turned around, it was gone. Usually little things like that wouldn't bother Neku, but they were usually followed by the quietest murmur of his name. He figured that he was just imagining it, as he usually always did, but he couldn't shake the feeling of being watched.

In fact, he constantly felt watched. Even when he was home alone, he felt eyes boring holes into his back. No one was ever there, but the feeling was beginning to frustrate him. He never broached the subject with his mother—she was far too superstitious herself—and only once mentioned it to his Father who chuckled and said that he needed to stop playing video games so late into the night. Neku had grumbled in response and returned to his life.

And today seemed to be one of those days. The skinny teenager was sprawled out on his bed, reading a book, when he felt a chill slip down his spine. He frowned and got off his bed, wandering over to his air conditioner. He turned it off with a yawn and returned to his bed, slumping down on it. The chill remained, causing Neku to snag a blanket from the head of his bed and curl up in it, immersing himself into the literary world before him.

'_I wonder what Kita is doing today…probably off at the mall_,' he thought lamely as he failed at concentrating on the book before him. '_Gah, I haven't been out of this house for days. I hate summer…_'

His sinewy fingers rested on the binding of the book as he stared off into space, pondering what would be the best course of action for the day. 'Maybe I should just head down to the park, get some ice cream, and see if I know anyone there. …nah, it's too hot outside. Probably well over boiling.' He laughed quietly under his breath and laid back down on his bed, pushing the book off to the side so he could relax.

'_I wonder what Mom is gonna make for dinner when she gets home. Hopefully that steak she promised—Dad sounded really excited about it…hopefully he'll be home in time to eat._' Neku rubbed his eyes drowsily and stared up at the ceiling. '_God, I can't believe I'm already going to be a sophomore this year…it feels like just yesterday that I was a freshman.' _He groaned at the memory_. 'Hell, I didn't even think I'd make it this far…_'

Neku felt silent after a moment. It was true; the brunet had inwardly doubted that he'd make it past ten. The memory of the day he caught pneumonia remained prominent in his mind, not fading with time. He had been so stupid, so naïve. He should have left when the other parents advised him, he should have dried up when he got home instead of going straight to bed because he was exhausted. He should have called his mom and told her he wasn't feeling well and to come home.

"I almost _died_, damnit," he whispered to himself, mentally cursing about how immature he had been, so careless.

The cold chill returned—did it ever leave?—causing Neku to bolt up on his bed. The past two weeks he had been plagued with the bizarre chill that refused to leave. Even outside, in the humid and scorching weather, he still got a chill. And that feeling that eyes were watching him constantly, and the glimpses of things out of the corner of his eyes that he forced himself to ignore, and the murmurs of his names and incoherent words that he often heard but also ignored. And the face…the face that he sometimes could almost make out in the mirror before it was gone, erasing itself completely from his mind. And the…and the odd sensations he sometimes got, like someone's skin brushing against his.

"What the hell?!" he demanded, holding his head as he tried to make sense of everything he had been trying his best to ignore for the past few years. It seemed that the more he ignored it, the worse it got. The more he tried to be a normal fourteen year old, the worse these 'unexplainable' occurrences got.

"I don't believe in ghosts," he stated quickly to himself, shaking his head stubbornly. "And even if I do, why the hell would a ghost be here? Stalking me?" He shivered, slowly convincing himself otherwise. "…is there a ghost stalking me? Did I do something wrong? Is it going to kill me?"

At least no one else could hear his fearful rambles that he would be too proud to say in the company of others. Or, at least, he thought no one else could hear them. Regardless, Neku shuddered and pulled the blanket closer around his body, back pressed to the headboard as he began breathing in quickly. He had never believed in ghosts but…the more he thought about it, it was the only logical explanation to everything that had been going. Even the lights flickering and the mysterious misplaced objects.

The chill returned again even as the brunet covered himself heavily under the blankets, refusing to leave, lingering in the air around him - but for a moment, it retreated, the ice cold that would shoot up his spine soon dissipating. The air returned to the humid, warm state it was normally in.

Before so very slightly, the chill returned... faint, but definitely there. Like it had pulled back and was now cautiously tapping the boy instead of hitting him full force.

Neku sucked in a deep breath, eyes glued to the opposing wall. If he was dealing with a 'ghost', then what should he do? Attack it? How the hell could he attack a ghost? And what if it wasn't? What if it was just a draft? Neku shook his head.

"Who are you?" he demanded. Even if he was wrong, and it was just a draft, then no one could hear his moment of fear. So, what did he have to lose? Certainly no pride.

The chill remained where it was, keeping the boy in a hesitant embrace, far weaker than it usually was. There was a pause, an almost eerie silence, as the noises outside Neku's bedroom window continued to echo, the world still turning despite his current predicament. It was both comforting, and somehow, belittling.

The air around him didn't change in temperature, but suddenly seemed a bit heavier - there was no real way to explain the sensation. It was a little foreboding, and lonely... but somehow hopeful. Like something was wanting to happen, but couldn't - or wouldn't. A small whisp of warm air, even underneath the blankets, brushed against the brunet's arm.

Neku jolted in surprise at the brush and further tensed, eyes flashing in alarm. Okay, so either he was just creeping himself out, or there was something here and it wouldn't leave him alone anytime soon. "Don't kill me! I...I..." He didn't know what to say. He didn't want to sound weak, but he had no idea what he was in for. And he didn't have one of those fancy machines that the Ghostbuster's had so...he was practically screwed.

The warm touch retreated along with the chill, as if startled and seemed to disappear completely... but returned again, so gently and smooth, it was barely noticeable. The wind seemed to pick up ever so slightly around him, whispering something unintelligible in his ear. It came once, twice... before on the third time, there was just enough definition to hear a soft tenor voice...

"_Neku_,"

"W-who are you?" he repeated, voice shaking the slightest. The voice had never been that clear before. Still, it was hazy and barely audible, but he could make it out perfectly this time. Something, though, deep inside him soared at the voice, but he bluntly ignored that.

The wind came again, a breath, a sigh... before the voice was heard once more.

"_Don't be afraid_," The tenor voice seemed to come from all directions, making it impossible to tell where it was coming from. "_I won't hurt you, Neku._" The last phrase seemed to drown in something almost human - was it... pain? Perhaps even sadness?

Neku shivered. "How do you know my name?" he answered stubbornly, hugging his arms tightly to his chest. "Are you a...ghost?..." This couldn't be his mind playing tricks on him.

There was a soft chuckle, the warmth upon the brunet's arm returning ever so hesitantly. "_Something like that I suppose_." There was a pause, the warmth slowly descending down to Neku's hand. "_I've known you since you were born... of course I would know your name_." The voice was so much clearer now, but there was still an otherworldly echo to it, making every word sound incredibly surreal.

"Since I was born, huh?" Neku echoed and closed his eyes, trying not to overreact. He could feel the warmth over his hand, making his mind spin in utter confusion. "Why have I never met you before, Mr. Ominous voice?" he questioned in a slightly skeptical tone.

Another laugh, soft and almost cheerful. "_The living are unable to hear me, much less see me."_ Was the simple reply, giving him nothing more to ponder about. "_I suppose since I've been with you for so long, you're able to recognize my presence._"

Neku blinked a few times. "I still can't see you. I mean, glimpses, yeah...but..." He trailed off. Good lord, he was going crazy, talking to some random voice that he was probably thinking up himself. "...What's your name, anyhow?"

There was a long, almost agonizing pause. For a moment, it seemed like the question would go unanswered - perhaps even scared off the voice entirely.

"_Joshua_," Came the quiet response, the voice so light it was almost physically evident that the speaker was smiling. "_My name is Joshua_."

"What a ...normal name for some kind of otherworldly voice," he mused to himself, laughing under his breath at how odd this situation was. "So...you've been stalking me since I've been born? That's...kinda creepy, Joshua, was it?"

"_Stalking?_" Came the innocent question, Joshua sounding perplexed and quite frankly, taken aback. Well, he supposed it was a little like stalking... "_I would hardly call it stalking._" There was a bit of a pout obvious in his tone.

Neku smirked to himself. "...I've felt you nearly constantly for the past few years. I'd call that stalking," he mused, shaking his head. "...I guess I kinda have to thank you, though...was never truly lonely." Shrug.

Slowly, the warmth was back to his arm, before the faintest shimmer of white light came from it, for a mere instant, almost materializing into a human-like hand. But as soon as it came, it was gone. "_No. You were never alone._" The tone was so warm and heartfelt, so sincere. "_I was always with you. Always protecting you._"

Neku sat there for a moment, in complete silence. "...Protecting me?" he stated and made no effort to move away from the eerie comfort that the voice brought him.

"_Yes_," The tone was back, telling Neku that whoever the voice belonged to, was smiling. "_From the time you were in the ICU on your first few days of life... to when you caught pneumonia when you were ten. I never left your side._"

Neku was finding this hard to believe despite the fact that it made perfect sense. He sat there, once more, without uttering a word before his lips lifted into a small smile. "I guess my Mom was right...I do have a Guardian Angel, if that's what you even are."

A small laugh. "_Guardian Angel... I remember when she called me that_." Was the soft reply.

Neku tilted his head. "Why are you laughing?... Isn't that what you are?"

"_Not quite_," Was the reply, the voice still chuckling at the irony of it all. "_I guess you could even say I'm the exact opposite._"

Neku bristled some. "W-what are you, some sort of demon or something?" His fear and defensive wall were back.

Joshua felt something in his chest hurt at the sudden fear the boy had - though in retrospect, it was probably normal for the living to associate 'angels' with 'devils'. Was he being called Noise, on some sort of twisted level? He'd been demoted again. "_No, I'm not a demon_." He tried to reply in a reassuring voice. "_The living just have such a predetermined view of 'good' and 'evil'... Just because I'm not an Angel doesn't mean I'll hurt you_."

"Oh..." Neku felt a bit bad for having jumped to conclusion with this 'Joshua' voice. "...Well, whatever you are...thanks for keeping me alive," he murmured, a bit uncertain if he truly believed it still.

"_It's nothing you have to thank me for_." Joshua spoke sincerely, his form shimmering ever so slightly in the dim light... and suddenly, his voice was no longer so distant - almost as if there was someone standing right beside the boy, beside his bed. "I only wish to see you happy... and safe."

Neku's eyes were closed at this point, forcing his fretting mind to focus on the voice--that suddenly sounded so much closer? "So, I take it you can't materialize like the living?"

There was a pause, before Joshua spoke again, albeit more hesitantly. "Yes... I can." There were actually a few times throughout the brunet's childhood where he had drifted into the RG for various reasons. He once did so when Neku was only four, when he got lost in the zoo not far from Shibuya... he took the boy's hand and led him to his parents, where he promptly vanished again, content with being forgotten as long as the young boy was safe. "I am... one of the few with that ability."

Neku looked to where he thought the voice was coming from, and still say nothing. "You have the ability?" he questioned, surprise drenched in his voice. "Then why haven't you?... Wouldn't it be easier to uh, protect me, if that's your duty, in a solid form?"

He laughed again, with a slightly more melancholic tone. "I may be unable to be seen by the living like this, but I can affect your living world in the same way you can..." His words trailed and very suddenly, the warmth on Neku's arm became solid, and felt like a real hand - though he still couldn't see anything. "I chose not to do so around you... but it appears you're able to see and hear me even while I don't intend to be."

Neku pondered for a moment. "If I can do all those things, why not just appear visible regardless? It's not like I won't know when you're around, anymore," he reasoned.

"Mm... I'm sure I can evade your radar if I tried." He reasoned with a hint of arrogance. But, still... did he really want to? "But..." There was a hesitant pause. "...Do you..._want_ to see me?"

"...Might help me realize that I'm not going crazy and that you really do exist," he mused, shrugging his shoulders absently. "Unless you're some creepy deformed monster...then I'll pass."

There was a remnant of a sigh. "I suppose I _am_ some sort of a monster." He whispered, not intending for the boy to hear, but was unable to keep his voice away from Neku's now perceptive ears.

"If you wish it, my dear Neku..." He replied with a smile, white shimmering beside the brunet on the side of his bed, before slowly... the form of a silver-haired man appeared in a shinning white light, violet eyes opening to gaze down at Neku with an unreadable expression. He was glowing and ethereal, but it was obvious now he had a human form - and bathed in so much white, it would be easy to mistake him for an angel.

Neku stared in stun for a moment before toppling over the edge of the bed, his stun having made him jolt up and fall rather awkwardly. The brunet groaned and scrambled to get off his floor and back on his 

bed, cheeks stained a red hue from embarrassment. His shaky eyes observed the other, basking in the gorgeous sight of this...being.

"_Whoah_..." was all he said, rendered speechless.

"Expecting something less... human?" Joshua asked with a smile, his facial expressions almost drowned out by the white light, but were still somewhat recognizable.

"Don't really know what I was expecting," Neku admitted, curious eyes swarming over the silveret's body. Curiously, he reached out with his right hand to touch the other, needing to prove to himself that this was not an illusion.

At the touch there was a small spark of something - almost like electricity - but it died down quickly, becoming nothing more than a warm pulse. Smiling gently, Joshua reached to cover the young boy's hand with his own, holding it like he was made of glass - afraid to keep the contact if Neku didn't wish for it. "I'm real," He whispered with a hint of amusement in his voice, as if reading the brunet's thoughts.

Neku shivered at the feel of another hand--one that wasn't his mother or father's--on his. "You feel real," he decided, not allowing his gaze to move away. "And you...sound real."

Joshua chuckled, noticing how adorable Neku's expression had become - full of awe and wonder. "I'll be as real as you want me to be." He spoke warmly, lifting a hand to ever so gently brush a few orange strands behind the boy's ears, like a protective parent comforting their son.

Neku felt his core shudder just the slightest at those words. "You positive I'm not dreaming? Because this really, really couldn't happen in real-life," he mused, a soft hue of pink rising to his cheeks. How could this possibly happen?

"There's a whole other world in Shibuya that you don't know about," Joshua added with a smile. "You may not believe in it, or me... but we're both real."

Neku continued to watch Joshua. "...Why me?" he wondered, head tilting to the side. "I'm...not that worthy of protection."

"More than you know." The silver-haired man spoke quietly with adoration, fingers moving atop Neku's hand gently. "Are you... not pleased because I'm here?"

"What? No, I'm not displeased," he stated hurriedly, shaking his head. "I just...I just find it odd, I'm sorry. I...never believed in this stuff before..."

"Mm, not many people would." Joshua agreed with a bit of a grin. "My world is not something many are aware of."

"World, huh? Now that's even harder to believe," Neku reasoned, hand not moving and remaining slightly attached to the other's.

Though the Composer knew it wasn't exactly wise to tell the young brunet any more than he already had, the longer he stared into those blue, curious eyes, he felt his resolve melt. He had never told anyone about the UG - especially not the living. But... what harm would it do to tell Neku? If anything, it may bring them closer. Besides, how else was he going to explain what he was?

"A world that exists above Shibuya, on a different plane." Somehow, he found himself smiling fondly as he talked about his city. "It looks exactly the same, but is really quite different..."

"...Can people go to it? Does anyone know of it?" Neku tilted his head, watching Joshua for a long moment. There was something about him...that made him want to believe and trust him. Yet, there was a small part of him that was scared...uncertain. He tried his best to remain indifferent for the time being.

"No," Joshua added, slowly guiding the boy so that they both sat on the edge of the bed. "Not unless you're dead." He added with a little too much levity in his voice.

Neku nodded, careful not to look away from the other, a bit fearful that he'd just vanish. "...Oh..." The words didn't really make much sense. "That's... kind of bizarre," he decided, licking his lips absently. "Doesn't sound like a nice world..."

The silver-haired man sighed softly, wondering if telling him the whole truth was necessary. "It depends on how you look at it." He said with an even tone. "Some despise it... others love it."

Neku wasn't quite sure which type of person he'd be--one to love it or one to hate it. "Do you like it?" he questioned, glancing up at Joshua behind gingery bangs.

Joshua blinked a bit at the question, expecting something a little less forward... like who would hate his world, or love it? And why? He smiled faintly. "Yes." He answered sincerely. "I love it very much."

"Hm...then I suppose it isn't all bad," Neku decided with a small nod to himself.

Shibuya's Composer could only stare at Neku for a short moment, in awe at the child-like optimism, and trust he already had in someone like him. Well, in a way... that was both different and similar to the Neku in his past life. "Mm, but I don't think you'd like it too much." He said truthfully. "It's a scary, dangerous place for humans."

Neku's nose scrunched up some. "I wasn't planning on going there," he reasoned stubbornly, looking to Joshua with a hint of defiance. "I was just saying that it can't be all that bad." He offered a small smile at the end, staring at him with youthful eyes.

He chuckled and mussed up some of the boy's orange hair. "No, I suppose it's not." Violet eyes gazed down at him with a hint of sadness. "I just wouldn't want to see you in a rush to go there." He didn't want to see Neku make the same mistake he did over 300 years ago.

Neku smirked some. "Do you really think I'd want to leave all this?... I'd never leave my parents for a selfish reason like that," he decided, shaking his head. Perhaps the old Neku would have taken the chance to get away, but this one...liked how things were.

"That's good to hear." Joshua grinned. "I'm glad to see you cherish this life and those around you. I really do." He couldn't help it - gently he brushed aside Neku's orange bangs and leaned in, placing a gently kiss on the boy's forehead.

Neku felt his body shiver and his heartbeat stopped. His eyes widened and he sputtered out unintelligent words, cheeks flaming a dark red. "W-why'd you do that for?" he demanded, holding his hand up to his forehead.

"What?" Joshua feigned a completely oblivious tone, giving Neku an innocent, if not somewhat surprised look. "Your parents kiss you all the time. Can I not do the same?"

"You're not my parent!" he stated, obviously flustered. He continued rubbing at his forehead, mumbling nonsensical things under his breath.

The Composer couldn't help but giggle at how Neku was reacting, making the man put a hand over his mouth and shake slightly as he tried to hold it in. Ahh, he was so cute...

Neku blinked a few times. "Why are you laughing?" he groaned, unable to keep his cheeks from flushing a deep crimson.

"No reason," He continued to laugh. "You're so cute, Neku"

"I'm not cute!" Neku answered stubbornly, arms coming to rest over his chest. "_Girls_ are cute," he huffed.

"And you are too," A white hand ran through Neku's orange hair and mussed it up in a bit of a condescending manner. "Very cute."

Neku shook his head, trying to swat the hand away. "Cut it out, I'm not a girl!" he huffed.

"I know you're not a girl," Joshua giggled, retreating his hand a bit with a spark of mischief in his violet eyes. "Doesn't mean you can't be cute" He brushed some of the boy's bangs out of his eyes that fell there.

Neku's nose scrunched up. "...Not cute," he argued under his breath and averted his gaze. "Besides, I didn't know...guardians or whatever were allowed to think that they're 'protected ones' were cute."

"Hm," The Composer grinned. "I suppose I'm not technically a guardian." Thank goodness - there was no way he couldn't think Neku was anything but adorable.

"Whatever," Neku sighed and lowered his gaze. "...You do realize you're nearly blinding me, right?" Staring at the silveret like that for such a long time was really taking a toll on his eyes.

Joshua blinked, having been used to staying in his UG form for so long, he hadn't noticed. "Ah, my apologies." He grinned and closed his eyes. "Would you prefer I take on a more convenient form, then?" The white light around his body began to dim, wrapping around his form like ribbon before fading completely... leaving a boy about his age sitting beside him, with silver hair and the same piercing violet eyes.

"Better?" He asked, voice younger and higher pitched, but his smile was still the same.

Neku stared at Joshua in stun, his eyes having to adjust to this person, technically, sitting beside him. "...Now you're the one that's girly," he pointed out with a slight smirk tugging on his lips.

Joshua couldn't help but let a vein throb on his forehead, remembering how the previous Neku used to make fun of him for the same reason. Girly? Really? He liked to think of it as "ambiguously beautiful". Wait, that's pretty similar, isn't it?

"Girly? Hmph." The silver-haired boy grabbed Neku's hand, sliding off the bed and pulling the brunet with him. "I'll pretend I didn't hear that."

"Wait, where are you taking me?" Neku wondered and glanced down at their hands with confusion, and then back up to Joshua. Oh god, he had insulted him and now he was going to kill him!

"You were bored before I got here, weren't you?" Joshua gave him a blank look, opening the bedroom door with his spare hand. "Let's go out and do something then. We're friends now, right?" He gave the boy a sincere, hopeful smile.

"Friends, yeah…" Neku trailed off and rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand. What was a 'not human and not angel''s version of going out to do something? Did it involve killing? Maiming perhaps? Maybe his father was right and he needed to lay off the horror games.

Neku wasn't sure where the hell his 'new friend' was going to take him, but he felt inclined to follow, and even more to enjoy the time he spent with him. So he wasn't an angel, nor a demon, nor a ghost. He was here to 'protect' him. Neku wasn't quite sure he believed him, but there was...just something that he couldn't ignore. Something that he wanted to investigate further and get to know. And besides, he had to set this Joshua guy straight: he was _not_ cute!

--oo0oo--


	4. Composer

**Title:** Transcendent  
**Characters:** Joshua/Reincarnated!Neku  
**Rating:** PG-13 for now  
**Warnings:** Spoilers for end of the game – quite possibly major spoilers for the secret reports  
**Summary:** Unable to govern his death, he could only watch his proxy fade, his soul lingering and life to be born anew. Reincarnation fic.  
**Notes:** Co-written with feverishlove.

**Chapter 4**

_Composer_

It had been probably around four months since Joshua revealed himself to Neku. And, much to his surprise, they got along really well. They went to the arcade together, played soccer with his classmates, and even went to play a little Tin-Pin (Though Neku kept insisting that game was so out of style, and he never did understand Joshua's "blue" and "pink" jokes). The brunet was easily able to write Joshua off as a friend from school, so he had a perfect excuse every time the Composer would randomly end up at his house. And for the most part, his parents bought it – but Joshua had the eerie sensation that his mother might have recognized him. If she did, she was only suspicious, and nothing more. Either way, he was welcomed into their home on many occasions, and Joshua actually got used to calling Neku's parents "mother" and "father", rather affectionate nicknames since he came to like them a great deal. They seemed to like it, too – and Joshua hadn't had parents in over three hundred years, so it felt nice… almost like he had a family again.

Today was special though – today was the last day of school before summer vacation. So, as a treat, Joshua decided he would wait for Neku after school, and take him to Wildkat so he could meet Sanae and enjoy a cup of coffee (though a fifteen year old boy may not even like it), and perhaps a slice of cake.

The bell rang and soon, students were pouring out in to the courtyard of the high school, and Joshua waited patiently at the gates.

Neku was rather exhausted from his day at school. He didn't really have the chance to thoroughly enjoy the day, due to the fact that it was chocked full of exams that had him stressing out for a week prior. But now they were over and he was free from the cramming of knowledge. Thank god.

Neku left the school building, probably one of the last students to do such. He had pulled out a pair of purple headphones he had bought a few days earlier and turned them on, allowing himself to indulge in peace as he headed down the familiar path towards the school gates.

All was going well until he noticed someone familiar. Silver hair, breathtaking violet eyes--was that _Joshua_?

"Neku!" Joshua turned to greet the orange-haired youth, smiling brightly with arms wide open, as if expecting Neku to run into them. "You sure took a while to leave!"

Yes, it was Joshua. Only problem was, he was a little different than he usually looked in the RG. No longer was he Neku's age - but instead around five years older, quite a bit taller than the brunet at this point.

Neku arched a brow, eying the arms carefully. "...Why are you doing that?... Do you have an arm cramp?.." Okay, so maybe he was just as dense as he had been in his previous life. After a moment, though, he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

"W-what happened to your body?" he wondered, arching a brow.

"What? Like what you see?" He grinned and flipped his hair a bit, a flirtatious tone in his voice. "Altering my form is child's play. I just decided to change things up a bit today."

Neku coughed and averted his gaze, blushing. "As if," he murmured and continued staring. "...You look like a pedophile, Josh..."

"... Pedophile?" He blinked, looking at his arms and legs as if that would shed some light on the statement he couldn't quite wrap his mind around. "Why? 'Cause I'm a few years older? Lighten up," He laughed, reaching forward and grabbing Neku's hand. "C'mon, I'm taking you somewhere special today."

A young boy, the same age as Neku, walked over to the pair, holding a notebook close to him as he surveyed the two. He had short black hair with soft brown eyes that seemed rather...confused at the moment. "You have an older brother?"

Neku was about to struggle away from Joshua but froze when he heard his friend's voice drift into his ear. He glanced back and stared at Kita, face paling. "Brother? Oh no, he's my uh..."

"I'm a friend of the family." Joshua said without missing a beat, wearing a completely convincing smile. "You're Kita, right? Neku's told me all about you." Not to mention they played at the arcade a few times before.

Neku exhaled in relief. It was rare that Joshua didn't say anything teasing. The boy, on the other hand, smiled. "Oh, awesome. Nice to meet you!" he said jovially, extending a hand towards Joshua's free one. "And yep, that's me. Hopefully they're good things?"

"Of _course_," Neku murmured, still eying Joshua's hand on his own, just staring at them.

"You sound like a great friend." The Composer agreed and nodded with a friendly expression. "Thanks for being so nice to my little Neku I hardly get to see him anymore. I'm studying abroad, so I was worried he was having a hard time being a high school student now."

Neku twitched some. His... _little...Neku_? Oh, he'll pay for that remark. Neku frowned inwardly and murmured under his breath, "_Yours_, huh?"

"Oh. You must be really smart then," Kita said with admiration in his voice. "I hate to cut this short, but I promised my mom I'd be home before my little brother came home. Have to babysit," he groaned. "It was nice meeting you! See you soon, Neku!"

He quickly scampered off, waving to the pair.

"Such a nice kid." Joshua commented, watching as Kita ran off, waving politely. "I wonder if he saw the similarities between me and my younger self... ahh well." He blinked and looked down at the brunet with an amused smile. "Hmm? What's wrong Neku?"

"Since when am I your little Neku?" Neku quoted as he wrenched his hand childishly from Joshua's. "I'm not that little, jerk."

"You are to me," He continued so smile, poking a bit at the boy's cheek. "I didn't mean that as an insult. You'll always be little compared to me, even when you're fifty."

Neku rolled his eyes. "And what about the 'yours', huh? I don't see how I'm _yours_," he argued stubbornly and eyed his friend curiously.

"It was merely a facade I put up. The 'big brother' type fits me, don't you think? You don't need to get so defensive." He giggled and grabbed the brunet's hand again, no matter how stubborn he was being. "Unless you're being that way because you secretly like it."

Neku blinked. "...Oh." Now he felt completely stupid. Joshua was just being his protective, teasing self. "And what do you mean?!" His face grew red again. "Of course I don't secretly like it!" he grumbled.

"Of course, of course" the silver-haired man hummed, getting a few odd looks from those on the sidewalk as he drug Neku along, their hands still attached - though only half of them were seeing the brunet with him, the other half were women (and some men) ogling at the Composer.

Neku wouldn't deny that Joshua looked amazing at this age, and his normal, but...

"Joshua," he huffed as they hurried along.

"Hm?" Joshua turned and looked down at the younger boy, stopping at the bus stop that was just down the road from Neku's high school. A few people gathered around them, including a few women who got just a little too close to them, giggling a bit as they saw the linked hands. They figured the brunet was a little brother figure, or something to that effect - and continued to blush as they watched the seemingly oblivious Joshua.

Neku wasn't liking the looks the women were giving Joshua. No, he didn't like them at all. He glanced at them, shooting them rather irked and possessive stares. He wasn't entirely sure why he was doing such, but he just was. He subconsciously tightened his hold on his friend's hand.

The silver-haired man blinked, glancing at the women that stood in the small crowd as everyone waited for the bus. He wasn't oblivious to their stares - and even thoughts. He grinned as Neku squeezed his hand a bit harder, sending a few of those older girls glares, obviously at least a little jealous on some level.

As the bus drew closer and came to a stop, the women tried to slink in close to the pair, but Joshua decided to end this little charade.

Without any prior warning, be bent down and kissed Neku on the cheek, before turning back to the shocked group of high school ad college girls. "Sorry ladies - I'm taken." He said in a sing-song voice, before dragging the brunet onto the bus.

By the time Neku got into the bus and had taken a seat, his face was dark red and his heart beating erratically. He inhaled frantically, collapsing into the seat. He looked to Joshua, eyes wild with confusion. "T-the hell?"

"What?" Joshua asked innocently, noticing that the girls were no longer trying to invade their private space. Though, they did seem to keep watching him with a smile and a few blushing giggles - but probably for a different reason now. A few of them whispered and chattered, one of them finally saying 'they were so cute! Do you think they're dating?'. "That got rid of them, didn't it?"

"Now they think we're together!" Neku blurted out, face radiating heat. "Look what you _did_, Josh!..."

"Oh, calm down dear" He smiled and mussed up Neku's hair, earning a few squeals from the girls, who quickly tried to shush themselves. "We know we're not, so why does it matter what they think?"

"Because they're staring!...and if one of them knows one of my friends, or knows me from school, everyone is going to think I'm with some college guy!" he stated frantically. Oh so flustered, he was.

"Don't worry about that," Joshua giggled, intertwining his fingers in the youth's. "I'll just alter their memories later, if you like."

Neku frowned. "It totally defeats the purpose if you keep doing it," he murmured and averted his gaze.

"Alright then, I'll stop." He replied in a very convincing tone, taking his hand away from Neku's and suddenly grew an air about him that seemed more... distant. Like he wasn't even going to talk that much.

Neku fell silent. "...I'm not mad, Josh. I just don't want people starting rumors about me that'll get me in trouble with my parents..."

"Alright," He replied with a smile, looking up and out towards the nearest window. "Ah, here's our stop." He said before the but slowed and he stood, making no effort to go for Neku's hand like he usually did.

Neku noticed this oddity about Joshua and paused. He got up and stretched his arms lazily above his head. He was used to Joshua dragging him around, so this sudden freedom was rather...unnerving. "Lead the way," he stated, hooking his arm with the older male's and somewhat resting his cheek to Joshua's arm.

The Composer chuckled lightly, not at all minding the physical contact once more. "Of course," He replied with a smile, leading the brunet off the bus as the girls near the back began to giggle again.

It took only a few minutes before Joshua brought Neku to CAT Street, looking quite proud of himself. "Ever been to Wilkat?" He asked, though he knew the answer. He always did.

"No, never," Neku answered, glancing around the sides of the streets as they walked. "Is it good?"

"Very," He nodded. "An old friend of mine owns the place... he's a cheapskate, but I think you might like him."

They walked through the entrance, small bells chiming as they came in, the door shutting behind them. "Sanae You here?"

Neku prepared himself for Joshua's 'friend'. If he was anything like him, then he really should be prepared. "Why would I like a cheapskate?" he murmured to Joshua, staying close to the silveret despite it all.

"Eh? That you, Boss?" A tall, middle-aged man with slick black hair came in from the back room, drying his hands off a towel that hung at the pocket of his pants. "Yo-..." He stopped dead in his tracks and stared at Neku for a moment, wide-eyed. "Phones? Boss, why did you bring-!"

"How rude! I brought Neku all the way here to celebrate the beginning of his summer vacation and this is the greeting we get?" Joshua gave his Producer a pout - which, Sanae deducted, would probably as close to 'annoyed' as the Composer would get around the brunet at his side.

"Phones?..." Neku touched his headphones and took them off, blushing in embarrassment. But still, the other man sounded like he knew him. But that was impossible, he never met this man before in his life.

The cafe owner sighed, frowning a bit before finally giving in. "'Aight then... " He walked over to the pair, holding out his hand with a smile, albeit a slightly awkward smile. "Nice to meet'cha, Ph- Neku. I'm Sanae Hanekoma, a friend of Joshua's."

Neku felt a twinge in his heart, similar to that of when he met Joshua. He felt this...undying, undeniable urge to trust this man, almost as much as he trusted Joshua. He mentally pushed away the feeling, figuring it would be stupid to bring that up when he had never met 'Sanae' before in his life.

"Nice to meet you too," he answered, shaking the hand with his own tiny smile.

"Well!" Joshua grinned and put his free hand on his hip. "Now that we're all acquainted, how about you brew us up two specials, Sanae?" The silver-haired man tugged Neku gently over to a booth that rounded against a table. "Oh, and maybe a slice of strawberry cheesecake. You want any sweets, Neku?"

"I'm all set, thanks," Neku answered, nodding. He sat down in the booth and laced his hands together awkwardly on top, uncertain as to how he was going to make a good first impression.

"So," The Composer sat down next to the boy, skimming over the little menu propped up against the small bowls of sugar and cream, flipping it over and looking to see if there were any new items on the list since he was last here. "How was your last day of school?"

"It was fine. Think I managed to pass my exams," Neku exhaled with relief. "I guess all that cramming actually paid off."

"You were really having some trouble with the history and math portions." Joshua idly replied, smiling at the brunet. "But you got most of them right - although you missed a few points in your essay."

Neku twitched some. "...Of course you were watching me, you have nothing else better to do," he sighed and shook his head, bangs falling in his face. "At least I know I did well."

"Well enough to celebrate." He giggled a bit, just before Sanae walked over and set down two hot cups of coffee, with a strong chocolate scent.

"Here ya go - two specials." Mr. Hanekoma grinned cheerfully, then grabbed the small slice of cake and set it between the two. "Aaand your cheesecake. Anything else, boys?"

"No, that should be fine for now. Thanks, Sanae." Joshua waved him off cheerfully.

"Ah, Boss... Just as a heads up-" The cafe owner stopped himself, glancing warily at Neku before deciding now wasn't the best time. "Never mind, I'll tell you later." He turned to go return to the kitchen.

Neku began sipping his coffee, zoning out his friend's conversation completely. He stared off into the distance, out the window, and onto the street. It was such a nice day and summer was finally beginning. He couldn't ask for a better day all around.

But Joshua decided he didn't want Neku in a daze, so he took the little fork beside his plate and took a bite of the strawberry cheesecake, before getting another bite on the utensil and held it out towards Neku with a big grin on his face. "Here Neku, say _'ahh'_"

Neku snapped out of his reveries and stared at Joshua. "...What?" He eyed the cake. "I'm not a little kid!" he huffed stubbornly and folded his arms to his chest and averted his gaze.

He sighed. Joshua was always treating him like some sort of little kid--little annoying brother. Neku groaned mentally and closed his eyes. "Hey Josh...Earlier today Kita was rambling on about this book he 

was reading. It didn't make much sense, but he mentioned multiple worlds and it reminded me of something...you never told me much about yours."

"Hm?" Joshua blinked, having taken the bite that Neku refused to eat. His world? The UG? Why this, all of the sudden? "I thought you weren't that interested." He admitted, his statement really only half a lie. He wanted to tell the brunet more about the UG, but he was afraid that he may be rejected once Neku figures out who he is... and that he holds a torturous game governing life and death.

"I didn't want to push the subject before," Neku admitted, nodding to Joshua's words to prove their truth. "But...now that we're friends, and I've gotten to know you and stuff, I want to know more...about your world, I mean."

Joshua fell silent, his smile fading from his expression completely. "It's... not a very pleasant thing to talk about. It… would actually, probably only frighten you if I were to tell you about it."

"I wasn't expecting it to be all that pleasant," Neku confessed and shook his head. "Josh, just tell me, okay?"

The Composer fell silent for a moment, but gave in to Neku's plea. It shouldn't really hurt to tell him, right? What would it do? Neku was never the one to blab about this sort of thing... so, it should be alright. "Well..." He took in a short breath, violet eyes gazing out the window near the front of the shop. "The world I come from is another Shibuya, that exists alongside - or rather, above - this one. From my world, we can watch the living and interact with them on a very small level. But... everyone that exists in my Shibuya, the UG, are either dead or not human."

Neku arched a brow. "Dead?...So if you're dead you go to live there?" he wondered, looking at Joshua rather curiously. If that was the case, then he wasn't all that afraid of dying.

"No. Only a few that die get the chance to go there..." His gaze turned to fall on Neku's curious eyes. "And besides, it's..." Would he want Neku to go there again? His soul was already so bright and pure, he could hardly imagine him needing to go through the pain of a fourth game, even if he's not exactly the same person. "It's a very dangerous place. You see, there are two kinds of people that are there..." He made a gesture with his hand, holding up a single finger. "Humans, who have died," another finger went up. "And Reapers, the ones who try to erase the humans. The UG is not a place where people live, but rather... a place where a game is held. A game in which the humans, called Players, are hunted ruthlessly by the Reapers."

Neku frowned some, allowing the information to go through his mind. "...So I take it you're a Reaper, huh?" he mused to himself, staring down at his hands curiously. ...If Reapers hunted players down, then why was Joshua so hell-bent on protecting him?

"A Reaper?" Joshua blinked, making a move to correct the brunet, but Sanae interrupted them by rushing into the room.

"Boss, there's another incident with Sho... he-"

"Alright, I got it." The silver-haired man groaned, getting up and rushing over past the cafe owner. "I'm sorry Neku, can you make it home on your own? I have some... business to take care of."

"Yeah, I can," Neku answered and got up, looking to Joshua rather thankfully. At least the silveret trusted him, that was always a good thing. "I suppose I'll see you tomorrow, huh? Have fun with that business." He tossed his friend a soft smile before heading towards the door.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Han-...Ha..." He stumbled on the man's last name.

"Hanekoma." Sanae grinned as Joshua disappeared. "Y'can call me Mr. H though, if you like."

"All right then, Mr. H," Neku answered with a constant soft smile. "It was nice meeting you--glad to know that Josh has more friends than just me."

Sanae chuckled, patting the boy on the back with gusto. "Same here, same here. He doesn't get to interact with too many people nowadays... I'm glad to see he's found a friend in you, Phones."

Neku chuckled some. "Phones, huh?...Sorry that I kinda seemed rude coming in here with headphones on," he mused.

The cafe owner caught himself with his mistake, shaking his head. "Nah, that wasn't it... it's just..." His words trailed for a moment, before he smiled convincingly. "I knew a kid that looked just like you, way back when... 'was always wearin' headphones, so the nickname stuck. 'Ain't rude to wear those in here, 

so don't worry 'bout it."

Neku nodded. "Oh well, thanks," he said with a softened smile. "I suppose I'll see you the next time Josh decides to drag me off somewhere."

"Sure thing," He nodded, leading the young boy to the door and holding it open for him. "Y'can pop in on your own too, if ya like. Ain't givin' out any free drinks though."

Neku smirked at that. So Joshua was right. "I'll be sure to bring some money with me," he chuckled quietly and gave a small wave to Mr. Hanekoma before heading off back towards his home, walking the streets of Shibuya, alone, for what felt like the first time in forever. And he...rather disliked it.

When Neku arrived back home roughly thirty minutes after his conversation with Joshua and Sanae Hanekoma, he fixed himself up a small dinner. As he ate, he pondered silently about what Joshua truly was. He couldn't be a player, because he said humans were players, so that left the position of a Reaper. And Joshua had bluntly said that Reapers hunted humans... ruthlessly, at that. A shiver slipped down Neku's back as he stared at his cooling dinner with disdain.

_'What if Joshua really is a Reaper and kills undead people for a living?..._' He winced at the mere thought. _'And why is he sticking around me? To protect me?...He has to have reasons..._' He shook his head and continued eating, mind running off on him every few minutes. _'If Joshua is a Reaper...then there's a different side of him I've yet to see. A dark, dark side that is a murderer, basically. Could I...Could I handle being friends with someone like that? Someone who can take another's life?..._'

His thoughts lasted well into the night as he cleaned up after his small dinner and headed to his bedroom to play some video games until he got tired. He needed to get his mind off the silveret as soon as possible.

It was probably an hour after Neku slid into bed, unable to sleep, that the familiar sensation of Joshua's presence returned to the back of his mind. A faint shimmer of light pulsed at the other side of the room, before a tangible human form sat on the edge of the brunet's bad, Joshua propping himself up with one arm, still in his older form.

"Can't sleep?" He asked quietly, reaching out to gently brush a lock of the youth's orange hair behind his ear.

"Joshua...what are you?" Neku asked abruptly, not flinching away from the hand nor leaning into it. He knew that he wouldn't be able to sleep until he got his answer. He needed to ease his restless mind.

There was a long pause, the Composer blinking at the sudden question, wondering if that was what Neku had been thinking about while he lay in bed. "I'm Joshua... what else do you need to know?" He asked innocently, hoping that would suffice.

Neku sighed. "...Josh," he stated in a warning tone, eying the other stubbornly. "Are you a Reaper?..."

"A...Reaper?" He repeated in a wary tone. Ahh, that's right... Neku had asked him that question right before he had to leave, so he never got his answer.

There was a long pause, almost agonizingly so. "...No."

"...But you're not a player," Neku deadpanned, blinking at the other in confusion. "Now I'm completely confused," he concluded with a frown.

Joshua let out a long, stressful sigh. He had to tell him the truth - there was no way he could lie to Neku about something like this. "Neku..." He began, voice quiet and very serious - something rarely heard from him. "...Behind all the Reapers, there are three masterminds. The Game Master, whose position is the lowest... The Conductor, who coordinates the Game... and," He couldn't help but take in another small breath, gripping the brunet's sheets ever so slightly in a weak fist. "And, the Composer - who created Shibuya, and the Game itself... the one who governs every aspect, every life in Shibuya in both worlds."

Neku blinked a few times, the ideas of all three roles being a bit difficult to swallow. The brunet arched a brow, watching Joshua with a frown. The silveret seemed oddly bothered. "...Are you the Gamemaster?" he questioned.

Joshua couldn't look the boy in the eye, merely shaking his head slowly with a melancholic expression, in utter silence.

"...The Conductor?" Two strikes.

Joshua paused for a while, eyes closing as his brows slightly furrowed... and he shook his head again.

Neku fell silent as well. Three strikes and he was out of there, or more so out of his comfort zone. "How...how are you?..."

"...How am I what?" He asked in a whisper, so quietly it was barely audible. God, he wished this conversation had never even started... he was so happy with Neku believing he was something... something else other than a being who governed the Reaper's Game - as well as people's lives.

"How can you do that?" Neku clarified, eyes wide and his mind spinning. He stared up at his friend, a bit uncertain as to whether or not he even knew him anymore after this discovery.

There was another long, unnerving pause from the silver-haired man. "Because I love my city - and I love those that live in it." He replied simply, nearly all emotion drained from his voice.

Neku closed his eyes. "...I won't judge you," he decided and shook his head. "If you were all that cruel, this city wouldn't exists the way it does. I wouldn't be here."

Joshua looked up at gave Neku a horribly sad look, only half expecting words like 'cruel' or 'evil' pop into the youth's mind. From any human's point of view, he would seem that way he supposed... "My Game isn't just about the sick enjoyment of hunting others down." He stated simply, voice still quiet. "The ones who survive my Game are allowed a second chance at life... they are revived, with brighter souls and a better outlook on life. It may seem cruel and terrifying to humans... but I believe it's beautiful. The Game shapes Shibuya for the better."

Neku noticed how depressed the Composer was. His own lips curled down in a frown, knowing that his curiosity brought this upon them. His gaze flickered off to the side, allowing Joshua's words to soak in. Maybe he was lying? No. Joshua had proven his powers and abilities far too many times to be lying.

"...I believe you," Neku stated after a delayed moment.

Joshua's head tilted down, eyes still closed as he cracked the faintest hint of a smile. "Do you..." He began, violet eyes slowly opening to stare at the floor beside his feet. "...think any less of me now? Now that you know what I am?"

Neku pondered that question for a long moment, figuring that he needed to think it over to give an honest answer. His eyes closed as he allowed thought to engulf him for a few moments. "No," he stated bluntly.

The Composer looked up sharply, eyes wide with disbelief at the simple, unexpected answer. Violet eyes watched him carefully, half expecting the boy to say that just to be rid of him for the night. But alas, he found only sincerity in Neku's expression.

"...Really?" Was the only lame reply he could come up with at this point, having been awe struck.

"Yeah really," Neku chuckled, trying to break the awkward air that was clinging to the pair of them.

Slowly Joshua reached over to the brunet, hands slow and cautious, before he gently pulled Neku into a warm embrace, eyes closing as he pressed his cheek to the side of the youth's head. "Thank you..."

"Thank you, Neku..."

Neku's face visibly flushed and he remained silent, allowing his friend this moment. It was be horrible, only having very few friends and all that power and responsibility. The boy frowned at the mere thought of such a job and leaned into Joshua's embrace, blue eyes shutting. "You're welcome."

_'I'm really...so lucky to have found you again, Neku..._' The Composer thought to himself, smiling. He didn't want to let the brunet go, he wanted to hold him for so much longer, but he probably would have begun to freak the poor boy out.

"You should get some sleep," Joshua said quietly, leaning back from the embrace and patting the top of Neku's head affectionately. "I've kept you up long enough."

Neku yawned and shook his head. "I'm not tired--I'm not a little kid, Josh," he reasoned albeit the earlier yawn. He stared mulishly at the silveret.

"Grown-ups need their rest, too." He grinned with a hint of flirtatious mischief in his voice. "Now go to sleep before I decide to pin you to the bed"

Neku snickered quietly at that. "I doubt you could," the younger taunted with a playful, innocent glimmer in his eyes as he pulled on his sheets to wrap himself up in them.

"Mmm, is that a challenge, little Neku?" The Composer purred, looking down at the brunet with a predatory glint in his violet eyes, leaning over to place both hands beside either side of his chest, the mattress creaking slightly at the shift in weight. "I'll have you know I'm very competitive" Dear lord, he didn't know the half of it.

Neku felt his face heat up and his stomach drop. "J-Josh?" he squeaked, the playfulness retreating from his voice, anxiety taking its place. He wasn't afraid of his friend, but more so afraid of what he may do. He knew he wouldn't hurt him but...

"Where'd all that confidence go?" Joshua giggled, giving Neku a look so innocently sweet it was downright... _unnerving_. "You're not so tough once faced with a little challenge, are you?" Slowly the Composer's hands slid up the brunet's arms, stopping to gently lie upon his wrists in a somewhat dangerous, if not slightly provocative position.

Neku blinked simply, obviously flustered. He felt heat pooling at his wrists where his guardian held him down. A lump of nerves grew in his throat, treading on the side of uncomfortable. "I'm tough..." he whispered back with one last retort.

"You don't show it well, then." The silver-haired man giggled with the same unshakable smile. "If you're so tough, then how come you can't move right now?" He leaned in, resting his forehead against the flustered, and somewhat paralyzed youth's, his dark violet eyes gazing down at him with the same predatory look. "..._Scared_, Neku?"

"I'm...not scared," he stated, though it was more than a strangled whimper than anything else. He made no effort to move his arms, afraid that if he did such, Joshua's grip would tighten. It was best to remain still.

Joshua merely blinked, letting the silence around them both sink in the air... before his grin widened and he leaned closer still - pressing his lips to Neku's in a sweet, chaste kiss. Ahh, he was going to pay for that.

Not that he cared.

Neku released a surprised squeak, shuddering somewhat. Never before had he been kissed--sure, he had thought about it before, with cute and shy girls, but never with his best friend and-- "Josh!" he murmured against the older's lips, too petrified to move his lips away.

The Composer pulled away from his captive, laughing softly (though it was obvious he was doing his best to hold it in), with a few fingers to his lips. "Y-you were so cute, Neku I couldn't help myself," He admitted openly, smiling just a little too much.

Neku sucked in shaky breaths, staring up at Joshua with widened eyes. "Y-you stole my first kiss!" he screeched.

"Ahh, I did?" He asked much too innocently, because obviously he knew he did so. Though this wasn't the best place to say, he'd stolen the brunet's first kiss quite some time ago.

"Yes you did, you jerk!" Neku restated breathlessly and gently shoved at Joshua. "J-just leave...I don't wanna deal with you right now," he grumbled. At least he was spouting out words of hate. That was a great sign.

"You're so cute when you pout," Joshua added in a sing-song voice, but stood up and began to fade away, his form returning to the UG. "Sweet dreams, my little Neku"

Neku muttered a slew of curses under his breath and rolled onto his side, dragging his blankets around his body. He closed his eyes and sucked in deep breaths as he laid there. '_I'm not talking to him for a week! Idiot...Jerk!..._'

--oo0oo--


	5. Wings

**Title:** Transcendent  
**Characters:** Joshua/Reincarnated!Neku  
**Rating:** PG-13 for now  
**Warnings:** Spoilers for end of the game – quite possibly major spoilers for the secret reports  
**Summary:** Unable to govern his death, he could only watch his proxy fade, his soul lingering and life to be born anew. Reincarnation fic.  
**Notes:** Co-written with feverishlove.

**Chapter 5**

_Wings_

Winter was upon Shibuya, covering the city and streets with a fine layer of snow and blanketing it with temperatures much too cold to stay outside and play in. It was days like these that Joshua would appear at Neku's side after he got home from school, content with chatting and staying inside the warm apartment rather than walking down the freezing streets to get to the mall or arcade – or meet up with Kita to try a new crepe stand that opened up near 104, which was the phone call the brunet received not a few minutes ago and politely declined.

"Good afternoon!" Joshua chimed politely, smiling with enthusiasm as Neku's mom answered the front door. The silver-haired youth (who now appeared to be about seventeen, just slightly older than his companion) had learned to create a replica of Neku's school uniform that he would wear over a number of times, mainly to avoid any suspicion that he actually is who he said he was those few years ago when he met Mr. and Mrs. Sakuraba for the first time (at least, according to them). He would get teased by Neku's mom from time to time though, since no matter how cold it got, Joshua would wear the summer uniform – a short sleeve white button up with a blue tie, instead of the long sleeved version. He hated confining material, so he chalked it up to sensitive skin and preferred to wear a heavier jacket when the weather turned too cold.

"Hello Joshua-Kun," Tsuki Sakuraba opened the door for the young teenage boy, smiling brightly. "Neku's in his room playing video games. I was about to make some snacks for him, would you like some?"

"That sounds great," Joshua nodded politely, taking his oversized dark blue windbreaker off and hanging it with the rest of the coats by the door. "It's so cold outside… it'd be great to have something warm."

"I'll bring some hot tea then – is Jasmine fine?" Tsuki asked as Joshua took his shoes off, slipping on a pair of house slippers.

"I love anything you make, mom," The silver-haired boy grinned, earning a friendly laugh and a nod from Neku's mother. He walked down the hall and opened up the brunet's bedroom door with a bright smile. "Neku!"

Neku, who was now sixteen and a half, was used to Joshua's intrusions, but today he wasn't expecting it. He had been playing horror games all day (a hobby that did not die with age), and now was jumping at the slightest noise. The red-head, who had been staring rather intently at the screen, jumped a few inches up into the air, off his bed. He yelped in surprise and looked to the now opened door and the face of Joshua. A frown appeared as he dropped his controller, thoroughly embarrassed.

"Don't surprise me like that," he murmured and carefully recollected his Playstation controller and averted his gaze, a soft tinge of red spreading across his face.

Still playing horror games I take it?" Joshua laughed, walking over to the bed and laid down with a 'thwump' beside the brunet, sprawled out on his stomach as he propped his chin up with his hands. "Dunno why you like them so much - they always make you jumpy and scared." There had been more than a few occasions where the Composer would appear - through something normal like a door, or otherwise- and the poor boy would nearly wet himself. Not to mention that time a few weeks ago Joshua decided to visit later at night, only to find Neku was already asleep... and, being the sketchy decision maker he always had been, decided to snuggle up with the teen under the covers, smiling like a nut.

Needless to say, his ear drums burst when he awoke in the morning, Neku screaming something about zombies and a camera.

I enjoy the suspense," Neku explained as he resumed his game, leaning back against the headboard casually. "It's fun, _sometimes_, to be scared by the unexpected. You know, startled. Then you look back and laugh your ass off..." He trailed off as his concentration returned to his game, tongue slightly sticking out between his pursed lips as he wore a determined expression through and through.

Oh yes, hysterical. Joshua still laughed about it - probably more than Neku did. The Composer's eyebrow raised as the teen at his side drifted off into his own little world again, completely entranced by the gore and bloodfest that was going on in the TV. Hm.

**"Neku"** Joshua breathed quietly in quite possibly the creepiest otherworldly voice he'd ever used, lips dangerously close to the brunet's ear.

Neku tensed and quickly pressed the triangle button before he did anything stupid in the game. He glanced at Joshua out of the corner of his eyes before he lifted his own slim brow. "Yes?..."

"... Hmph. You're no fun." The silver-haired teen replied with a pout. "I thought I would have gotten a scream from that at least."

Neku rolled his eyes. "You're gonna have to try harder," he retorted and pressed the button a second time before engulfing himself back into the gameworld.

Joshua frowned in defeat, trying to think of some other way to get a good scare out of his friend. He could do something drastic like make a life-sized illusion of one of those hideous... things that was in his game - but where was the challenge in that?

"I brought some snacks," Tsuki called in a sweet tone, opening the door and carrying in a tray with some rice crackers and cookies, along with two cups of hot tea.

Neku, once again, sprang up into the air, crashing down in a hurry. His body fell haphazardly across Joshua's, his torso and limbs sprawled out across the older as he attempted to regulate his breathing. He really needed to make a sign on his door that read ' Knock First '.

"Oh, so I get no reaction for doing something creepy, and your mother walks in and you shit a brick?! What gives?" Joshua groaned with annoyance, shoving Neku off him via palm to the face.

"Language, Joshua-Kun..." Mrs. Sakuraba reminded nicely, obviously having grown used to Joshua's odd behavior, and occasionally foul mouth. "Neku, you really should stop playing those games. You're going to give yourself a heart attack."

Neku mumbled under his breath and looked pathetically towards his Mom. "But Mom, Joshua is purposely trying to creep me out," he grumbled childishly and lightly shoved at his friend's shoulder.

"If I was _really_ trying, you'd have _wet_ yourself by now," Joshua replied with a frown, giving the brunet a half-hearted glare.

Tsuki sighed and set down the tray on the nightstand beside Neku's bed, waving at the two politely. "Be nice to him, Joshua-Kun. Can't have him startling _me_ with his girly shrieks." She giggled.

"'Kay, mom!" The silver-haired teen made a complete 180, smiling brightly as Mrs. Sakuraba left, closing the door behind her.

Neku blinked. And then again. And then, "_Girly_?!" He folded his arms pathetically to his chest as his bottom lip stuck out. "I do _not_ shriek like a girl, damnit.."

Joshua stared at his disgruntled friend for a moment, still smiling as if he was constantly amused. He eyed Neku's pouting lips, before he leaned in - and shamelessly stole a kiss from him.

Neku's eyes fluttered open and he grumbled against Joshua's lips, not amused whatsoever. "Jerk..."

"If you say so, dear," He giggled and licked at the brunet's bottom lip before retreating, a little too happy with himself.

Neku's face contorted up into a look of surprise as he leaned back against the headboard, deciding not to comment on what Joshua had done. Instead, he murmured curses to himself and grabbed for his controller, resuming his game yet again.

Shibuya's Composer laid back to his resting position, watching the TV screen for a while, munching on some of the cookies, drinking the tea up quickly before it got cool. He never really _needed_ to eat per say, but he enjoyed the things Neku's mom made for the both of them - they were always delicious, no matter how simple.

"Neku" He grumbled, fidgeting a bit as he turned over to his back, watching the game upside-down. "This is boring. Let's do something else."

If you're suggesting molesting me, I vote no," Neku mused jokingly as he paused the game and glanced down at Joshua. "...The hell are you doing?

"Trying to make your horror games more interesting. They're terribly fake...how on earth can they scare you?" He frowned a bit, still looking at the screen even though it was paused. "Much scarier things out there like, serial murders and earthquakes..."

Neku scowled. "Stop being a jerk," he sighed and saved the game before getting up to turn it off. He hesitantly bent over to turn the game system off. One thing he had learned from being around Joshua--it was never safe to turn your back to him.

"How is that being a jerk? Minamimoto's piles of trash are scarier than pixilated ghosts." The Composer huffed a bit, folding his arms as he continued to look at Neku from his current upside-down position. "They're not real."

Neku rolled his eyes and walked back over to Joshua. "Minamimoto?... Isn't that the guy who's always causing you trouble?" he asked as he sat down next to the other.

"Me? No. Doesn't take much for me to handle him." He closed his eyes with a bit of arrogance about him. "Bugs the hell out of my Conductor, though. Not to mention the other Reapers."

Neku pondered for a brief moment before laying down beside the silveret. "The other Reapers, huh?...What are they like, anyhow? You never really talk about them."

"Hmm?" Joshua opened his eyes, blinking them a few times as he pondered. "Eh, most of them are like nameless, disposable henchmen who have the same repetitive taste in fashion. Always wear hoodies. They must think they look more intimidating that way."

Neku sniggered some. "Hoodies, huh? How... demonic," he laughed and shifted so that he could stare at Joshua. "Are they any different than the Players?"

"A bit. They look human enough - if you don't count their wings. Pretty much the only way to distinguish them without a Player Pin to read others' minds. Can't read theirs." He added, sitting up and stretching his arms a bit, letting the blood rush from his head. He probably would have gotten dizzy if he was alive.

Neku continued watching Joshua, head cocked to the side as bangs fell in his face. "Wings?... Huh, that's weird...I can't imagine humans with wings that aren't angels...you know the kind, big and fluffy and feathery," he mused.

"Nahh, they're real different," Joshua giggled, reaching over to Neku's abandoned book bag at the side of his bed, pulling out his math notebook and flipping to a blank page. Nabbing a pen, he began to scribble down a few odd-looking shapes, before they began to look very much like graffiti-like wings. "They're like this - although the Gamemaster's and Conductor's are bigger and slightly different."

Neku sat up and glanced down at the drawing, nodding in understanding. "They look really cool," he said and then glanced back up to Joshua. "...Wait, _you_ have wings?"

"I never said that." The Composer blinked, caught a bit off-guard by that particular question. "I mean, I _do,_ but..."

"Well, if the Conductor and Gamemaster do, doesn't that mean you do?" Neku wondered and scrunched his nose. "Wings are usually a sign of power, or so I've heard from Kita's ramblings about fantasy...so I just assumed you did."

"Haha... power? I suppose that's true." He smiled, clicking the pen in his hand closed. "The size and intricacy of our wings are determined by power and rank. Wall Reaper have relatively small ones, whereas the harriers and Gamemaster have larger ones. Like this - " He re-clicked the pen open, doodling a crude drawing of Konishi (all while smirking evilly to himself), with larger wings. "This is what a previous Gamemaster's wings looked like."

Neku peered at the wings curiously. "Damn...how the hell can you draw them so well?" he grumbled and stayed close to Joshua, eyes scanning over the patterns.

"I see them all the time. It's easy." Joshua stated simply. "And besides, I'm bestowed with all sorts of amazing abilities. Sanae taught me how to draw."

Neku snickered and then paused. "He draws, too?"

"Yup. Doesn't he seem like the artsy type?" He grinned, one of those 'I know something you don't know - oh and by the way, I'm not telling you' grins.

Neku groaned. "I hate when you do that," he muttered, catching the hint rather quickly. He leaned against Joshua's shoulder, staring down at the paper. "Draw yours?"

"Mine?" That seemed to catch the Composer off guard again. "I... never really looked at mine before. I know what they look like vaguely, but I don't let them out much."

Neku tilted his head to the side. "Well then, let me see them if you can't draw them."

There was a long pause, but it seemed that Joshua was at least considering it. They were much too big to fit in Neku's small bedroom - not to mention, it dispelled a lot of energy. No doubt the other Reapers - including Sanae - would feel it, even if they couldn't tell why he did or where he was. "Mm... it would be a little..." His words trailed off, before he shrugged and grinned at his friend, grabbing him by the hand. "Alright then." He tugged him off the bed, and drug him out the the door and into the hallway.

"Hey mom! Neku and I are going to that new crepe stand Kita told us about at 104! We won't be gone long" He announced politely.

Neku blinked in surprise, not really having expected to be dragged, once again. He followed Joshua faithfully, though, waving off to his mother with a soft smile before setting his gaze on Joshua, not really understanding why he would bring him out in the open. Maybe they needed sunlight?

Without any explanation whatsoever, they walked down the stairs and went around past the parking garage, where a small playground stood behind the apartment complex, backed up to another neighborhood. There wasn't anyone around at the moment, but it still seemed way too risky - there could be someone in the opposing building that could see, or if someone simply decided to come down to the playground like they did.

Didn't seem to faze Joshua, though. "This should work." He stated simply, putting his hands on his hips.

Neku looked around, obviously confused. "Why did you bring me out here?" he questioned, rubbing his arm awkwardly.

"I told you that the size of wings indicate power, remember?" He smiled innocently, turning to the brunet and walked a few steps backwards. "Your room was too small to hold mine."

Neku rolled his eyes at once. "Now you're just being smug," he tsked.

Joshua shrugged, still grinning as he spread his hands out a bit, stretching his arms a little ways from his body. He closed his eyes and allowed his repressed power to come forth ever so slightly, feeling the beat of Shibuya's music through his veins as he allowed his form to shimmer white for a moment - before slowly a shinning white sprung from his back, growing and growing... before the entire playground was 

shadowed by the ever forming intricate shapes. The light died down to a dull glimmer, Joshua's wings now prominent enough to be seen in detail - the wingspan alone measuring up to nearly seventy-five feet, having to curl in the tips to avoid touching the apartment buildings on either side. Not to mention there were _two_ sets of almost angelic white wings unlike the normal single set of black, the graffiti-like detail so defined and intricate, they almost looked like feathers.

Slowly the silver-haired boy's violet eyes opened, giving Neku a content grin. "I told you your room was too small."

Neku paled and nearly fainted. He hadn't been...expecting that whatsoever. He stood there in awe for a moment, completely stricken, before hesitantly stepping closer to Joshua, eyes wandering along the lengthy wings before looking to his friend. "...Can I touch them?"

Joshua suppressed the ever so tempting opening to reply with a witty remark about how... _indecent_ that sounded. So instead, he smiled, obviously a little too happy with Neku's reaction. "Of course," He let his hands slid into his pockets, shifting his wings ever so slightly so that the very edge of one moved in front of the brunet, the other to his back.

Neku cautiously reached out and touched the tip of one, his eyes fluttering shut as he felt a subtle surge of power tickle the pad of his finger. He gasped, barely audibly, but did not move his hand away. The feeling was so odd...

"Sorry if that hurt," Joshua closed his eyes, concentrating on something. "I'm doing my best to keep my energy at the lowest level possible, but it seems it still may affect you negatively."

"No," Neku answered honestly. "It didn't feel _bad_," he reasoned, falling silent afterwards.

The Composer blinked, confused at first. But he wasn't all that oblivious - Sanae had said something quiet similar before, years ago. Silently he stepped forward to the brunet without him noticing, hands slipping up to rest against Neku's chest. "Ahh, _Neku"_ He whimpered with a rather... indecent tone, lips brushing just past the teen's ear. "Don't stop..." His wings twitched a bit, touching the back of Neku's spine.

Neku gasped, eyes screwing shut. "S-stop it, jerk," he murmured, hand still resting on Joshua's wing as he struggled to remain standing, gentle shivers of pleasure dripping down his spine.

Of course any sort of struggle would only give Joshua more reason to tease him. He never learned, did he? "Mmn" He groaned, stepping yet closer so that their bodies were about as close as they could possibly get. "Don't touch me _there _ah"

Neku panted, his teenage mind clouding with a sensation that was too much akin to pleasure. He struggled to breathe as he felt continuous surges of energy. "J-josh," he warned, voice shaky and almost breathless.

Suddenly the Composer's lips pressed against the brunet's, and just as quickly as they appeared, his white Reaper-like wings disappeared in a glow of light, retreating back into his RG form, power stored completely.

"Oh _my,_ I think my little Neku is all hard now" Joshua pulled back from the kiss, grinning like he usually did when he felt accomplished with something. "Need help with that?"

Neku paled, eyes wide at Joshua's words. Without warning, he quickly shoved his best friend away and took a few steps back, cheeks enflamed. "You are such a _jerk!_" he groaned and clenched his fist by his side. So he was turned on, big deal. It was Joshua's fault, through and through.

"H-How can you say that?" The Composer whimpered, cheeks flushing with practiced ease. "You... after what y-you did to me...!" He covered his face with his hands, faking a sob. "Now I will _never_ be wed!"

Neku blinked and shook his head in disbelief. "Cut it out!" he groaned and covered his ears.

"Wahh! Mother, father! Your little boy is impure now!!" Joshua continued to fake his incessant sobbing, faking a sniffle before he walked back over to Neku, giving him a very serious look. "I'll allow you to repay me for this horrible deed. Take me to bed, and we'll call it even."

"Joshua!" Neku squeaked and shoved lightly at his chest again, wanting to keep distance between them. "There's no way in hell t-that I'm..."

"Oh lighten up, dear. I'm just messing with you." The silver-haired teen grinned, obviously a little too happy with himself. "Hey, you said you wanted to see my wings"

"I didn't want you to mind-rape me!" Neku muttered and lowered his defenses, rubbing his arm awkwardly. "...Sorry for overreacting."

"Well, it killed some time didn't it?" Joshua giggled, evident that there were no hard feelings. Well, almost not. Oh, bad pun. He should slap himself for even thinking of that. "You wanna pick out a video game we can both play? How about Super Smash Brothers? Unless of course, you need some time alone..."

Neku glared some. "Are you suggesting that I'm some sort of sex fiend or something?" he quipped and ignored the comment about games for now.

"No, but you are a hormone-driven teenager. Isn't that normal?" He blinked, finding it horribly obvious. "You like to jump to conclusions, don't you?" Another giggle.

"I like conclusions," Neku argued and stepped closer to Joshua once more, reaching out to purposely touch the Composer's hair. "Well, aren't _you_ hormone-driven, too?"

"I'm waaaay past the teen stage." Joshua replied simply, grabbing Neku's hand and leading him back to the stairs to his apartment. "I just like to tease you. You're always so adorable when you're flustered or when you blush"

Neku sighed dramatically and continued following Joshua back to his apartment, glad that his 'problem' was going down. "Can you try to keep the teasing down? I don't really enjoy blushing or being flustered as much as you do, Josh."

His friends looked back, blinking innocently before replying with a sweet, heartfelt, "Nope!"

Neku sighed and glared daggers into Joshua's back. "Fine," he murmured and continued their walk back.

Joshua just giggled more. The bastard.

--oo0oo--


End file.
